West Palm Beach Fatality 59 yo male diver

[Chuckitall]

I don't have many details, but I was out diving on another boat and heard the Coast Guard searching for a diver off of a WPB dive boat. I recently heard he was found on the bottom after several hours of searching. Please details if anybody hears more. RIP BTW I also lost a dive buddy yesterday to a farm accident in St. Lucie County. He was a great diver and buddy, RIP Bob.

Edited. Looks like the latest report has him at age 59 and on vacation from OK.

 

[ScubaFanFL]

My condolences to his family

Lake Worth —

Authorities have released the name of the diver who went missing near the Lake Worth Inlet and later died.
Eddie Fisher, 59, of Oklahoma, was meeting a family member in the state and went on a diving trip this afternoon, said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dieter Joseph.
The U.S. Coast Guard said that they received the call about a male diver missing two miles off of theLake Worth Inlet at 11:55 a.m. Crews were told that the diver with the commercial diving vessel Sirena was due to surface at 11:45 a.m. but he had not emerged.
Three master divers from the Sirena repeatedly dove until the missing diver was found in approximately 70 to 75 feet of water.
He was brought to the boat where he was given CPR. He was tranported to the Riviera Beach Marina and transported by ambulance to St. Mary’s Medical, where he was pronounced dead at 4 p.m.
A rescue boat from the Coast Guard’s station in Lake Worth and rescue helicopter from their Miami Air Station were dispatched to the search.

Authorities identify deceased diver, who went missing off Lake... | www.palmbeachpost.com

 

[DiverAmy]

Scuba diver found unresponsive in water dies - Local News - West Palm Beach, FL - msnbc.com

[h=1]Scuba diver found unresponsive in water dies[/h]
A scuba diver who was found unresponsive in the water after being reported missing has died.

The U.S. Coast Guard said a 62-year-old man was reported missing Thursday morning after he never resurfaced from a commercial diving expedition off the Lake Worth inlet.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies called to assist in the search said master divers on the diving vessel Sirena found the man and brought him to the surface. He was brought to the Riviera Beach marina, where paramedics were waiting to take him to St. Mary's Medical Center.
The man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A cause of death was not immediately known.

---------- Post added ----------

More recent from local paper:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/search-launched-for-diver-missing-off-lake-worth-i/nPby2/

[h=1]Authorities identify deceased diver, who went missing off Lake Worth Inlet[/h]

Lake Worth —
Authorities have released the name of the diver who went missing near the Lake Worth Inlet and later died.
Eddie Fisher, 59, of Oklahoma, was meeting a family member in the state and went on a diving trip this afternoon, said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dieter Joseph.
The U.S. Coast Guard said that they received the call about a male diver missing two miles off of theLake Worth Inlet at 11:55 a.m. Crews were told that the diver with the commercial diving vessel Sirena was due to surface at 11:45 a.m. but he had not emerged.
Three master divers from the Sirena repeatedly dove until the missing diver was found in approximately 70 to 75 feet of water.
He was brought to the boat where he was given CPR. He was tranported to the Riviera Beach Marina and transported by ambulance to St. Mary’s Medical, where he was pronounced dead at 4 p.m.
A rescue boat from the Coast Guard’s station in Lake Worth and rescue helicopter from their Miami Air Station were dispatched to the search.

 

[Splitlip]

Yeah my buddy texted me the news about 4:00 PM. Time for reflection as I approach the six decade marker in my life.
RIP.

 

[Reck Diver]

That's the Pura Vida Dive Shop's vessel, I believe. Did his dive buddy say how he got separated?
RIP.

 

[Aceswild84]

RIP, Prayers to his family.

 

[Scott L]

That's the Pura Vida Dive Shop's vessel, I believe. Did his dive buddy say how he got separated?
RIP.

You are assuming he had a dive buddy, which in the Palm Beaches is certainly not a given...

 

[LeafyGirl]

Very sad when the dive community loses one of it's own. Buddy team? Heart attack?

 

[Reck Diver]

You are assuming he had a dive buddy, which in the Palm Beaches is certainly not a given...

An older fellow from Oklahoma comes in to town flashes a C-card and they let him dive solo? I can't believe any reputable dive boat (commercial or recreational) would allow it. Why not send a dive master down with him if he has no buddy. There has to be more to the story.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, facts are scarce.

Can anyone in the know post a first hand account? There was a good east wind that day, so I suspect the affected diver's flag blew off the reef and towards shore rapidly. This should have tipped off the Capt. and Crew something is amiss.

As a recreational boater in the area, I don't have a lot of confidence in Commercial Dive Boats after what I have read, heard and seen first hand myself over the years.

 

[danvolker]

An older fellow from Oklahoma comes in to town flashes a C-card and they let him dive solo? I can't believe any reputable dive boat (commercial or recreational) would allow it. Why not send a dive master down with him if he has no buddy. There has to be more to the story.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, facts are scarce.

Can anyone in the know post a first hand account? There was a good east wind that day, so I suspect the affected diver's flag blew off the reef and towards shore rapidly. This should have tipped off the Capt. and Crew something is amiss.

As a recreational boater in the area, I don't have a lot of confidence in Commercial Dive Boats after what I have read, heard and seen first hand myself over the years.

As if any of us would have any confidence in YOU as a boater or as a diver?

The agencies train people in solo diving, and while I don't like it, if the Agencies think it is safe and insurable, the charter boats will have to allow it.
And it is incredibly foolish to make such a comment, given that we don't know if it was a heart attack or other medical issue. I would wait for the real report, not the Reck-less Ramblings.