4/5/2010 Incident @ Avalon, Catalina

[Capt.JimDavis]

Today there was an incident involving two divers at Casino Point in Avalon, Catalina Island. Lots of Paramedics and lifeguards were on the scene. So far the only info I got is they were transporting one diver to the chamber.

All I saw was a young male diver taking of his wetsuit who were obviously shaken sitting on the deck of one of the rescue boats and consoled by the rescue team members.

Also there was a young lady on the shore with a very upset crying little girl who were walking back and forth between the rescue boats and the prep area.

I hope story ends good.

I'll learn the details and update here by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[blue steal]

thanks Capt.Jim. we are heading over to catalina this Saturday. I do hope this ends well.

 

[robint]

any updates???

 

[DandyDon]

Nothing in the news yet so hopefully that means nothing serious. He did say he'd report again this afternoon and it's not lunchtime there yet.

 

[Capt.JimDavis]

Ok...
As I learned today it was a mother who was injured here in Catalina.

She was low on air during the dive but still she made the surface OK. Then while at the surface she suddenly lost consciousness and stop breathing.

Paramedics arrived and did CPR got breathing back but with very light pulse. After taking her to the chamber, I've been told that her situation didn't improved and by midnight she was airlifted to UCLA where her situation still didn't improve and she still have very weak pulse and her condition still is serious!

Two person who I got the update from told me that her condition didn't look good.

I pray the God that the opposite happens and she walks away from this ordeal in full recovery for the shortest amount of time.

That's all the news I got from the local guys. One more thing that she was diving with her son and that young man I mentioned in my earlier post who was consoled by the paramedics must be him.

I wish all of them the best of luck !

Keep them in your prayers.

( Sorry for the late update but I was working all day on a boat where I do not have the access to the net )

 

[drbill]

Yikes... I wasn't even aware of this one but I've been focused on my computer. Certainly hope her conditions improves.

We had two fairly minor incidents at the park over the weekend that I was aware of and at first I thought your post related to one of them, but obviously not.

 

[Kathy K.]

I was diving at the point Monday and was underwater when the incident occurred, so I did not see anything but the fire trucks which were still there. I talked to a Scuba Luv employee shortly after the incident. He was not her instructor or otherwise related to her, but he said he had responded to the distress signal given by a diver with her, and had given her rescue breaths at the surface. I do not want to identify him in case he doesn't want that, but I really appreciate that he jumped in and, to my belief, gave her the best chance that could be given.

 

[drbill]

My housemate told me last night that the woman did not survive. He heard it from the paramedics I believe. However, I have not substantiated this. Does anyone know if it is true?

 

[dom262]

Unless something new has occured, she was at a hospital in LA as of yesterday morning.

 

[Capt.JimDavis]

I've been told that she was diving with her 14 yr old son and she got somehow either short on air or ran out of air and surfaced quickly.

Even though she was responsive when she surfaced first, moments after that she lost consciousness and wasn't responsive.

I did not have any additional info other than the last thing I heard that she was on life support at IC in UCLA hospital and her condition wasn't improving as of this morning.

My prayers for her and her loved ones...