LBTS Diver Death

[DennisS]

Vacationer drowns off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
By Macollvie Jean-Francois | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 4:05 PM EDT, April 12, 2009 LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA - A vacationer from Pennsylvania who was scuba diving with her husband drowned accidentally, a Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said today.

Mary Darnley, 58, had received her scuba divers' certification in February, according to the spokeswoman, Veda Coleman-Wright.

On Saturday morning, Darnley and her husband went scuba diving.

"As her husband was on his way back up, he thought she was behind him," Coleman-Wright said. "She was found floating in the water by other divers."




The divers brought her back to shore, at the 4100 block of El Mar Drive, and tried to resuscitate her, but to no avail, Coleman-Wright said. Paramedics took her to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Darnley and her husband are from Eighty Four, Pa., a town about 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. They were staying at Yacht Haven in Fort Lauderdalehttp://www.sun-sentinel.com/busines...ons-database,0,5864281.framedurl?track=intext for the winter, Coleman-Wright said Yacht Haven Park and Marina, near the New River, hosts RVs.

The Broward Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and ruled Darnley's death accidental, she said.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Our local rag here in Pa reported that a 58 yr old woman diving with her husband drowned last Saturday morning. Anyone have any more info. Friends of hers are looking for any info. The article was very short and only said that she and her husband had started to swim for shore and she did not make it. I've been getting alot of questions about how and why this could have happened. Any info would be appreciated. Also the article stated she was found by other divers. No mention of the husband's status.

 

[fisheyeview]

Here's an article from the local Sun Sentinel.

Vacationer drowns off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

By Macollvie Jean-Francois | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 4:05 PM EDT, April 12, 2009 LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA - A vacationer from Pennsylvania who was scuba diving with her husband drowned accidentally, a Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said today.

Mary Darnley, 58, had received her scuba divers' certification in February, according to the spokeswoman, Veda Coleman-Wright.

On Saturday morning, Darnley and her husband went scuba diving.

"As her husband was on his way back up, he thought she was behind him," Coleman-Wright said. "She was found floating in the water by other divers."

The divers brought her back to shore, at the 4100 block of El Mar Drive, and tried to resuscitate her, but to no avail, Coleman-Wright said. Paramedics took her to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Darnley and her husband are from Eighty Four, Pa., a town about 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. They were staying at Yacht Haven in Fort Lauderdale for the winter, Coleman-Wright said. Yacht Haven Park and Marina, near the New River, hosts RVs.

The Broward Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and ruled Darnley's death accidental, she said.

 

[Rick Inman]

A vacationer from Pennsylvania who was scuba diving with her husband drowned accidentally...

As opposed to drowning on purpose?? Gotta love the press...

 

[Walter]

As opposed to drowning on purpose??

Yep. That means they don't believe it was murder or suicide.

 

[krbailey]

Jim,

One article mentions she drowned while they were trying to swim to shore. Another says "As her husband was on his way back up, he thought she was behind him." which seems to me that they were ascending at the end of the dive. Very confusing accounts.

As the diver was certified less than 3 months, I wonder if age and inexperience were a factor?

I hope we can learn something from this tragedy.

 

[Divergirl4U]

This is sad news, my best wishes for her family.

 

[cyberfed]

inexperience indeed.
shore dive, probably tides were wrong..who knows. sucks.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm guessing as to who the instructor was if they certed up here. I'm guessing not since it's been way too cold. I'm betting that they did local class and pool here and referral dives in FLa or maybe on a Springs trip. If so I doubt they were ready for any kind of shore dive in anything but very benign conditions. I was surprised I did not know the name until I saw the recent cert line. THis is a small area and most of the divers in this part know each other or know of each other. Pittsburgh is a lot bigger but these people are from less than 5 miles from me.

 

[Walter]

I don't know what the conditions were like on Saturday, but in general, this is an extremely easy dive, a place I love to use for the first couple of checkout dives. Tides are not a factor at this site.