Yet, another diver dies.. Marathon, FL.

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GQMedic

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Copied from www.keynoter.com.

Marathon, Florida.


Diver dies after surfacing
Texas man had gone to 30 feet at Critters Ridge

Keynoter Staff

A Texas man died after surfacing from scuba diving off Marathon on Monday, becoming 2003’s seventh dive-related fatality in the Keys.

Robert Johnson, 58, of Austin surfaced from a dive to about 30 feet, and fell unconscious before he could reach the dive boat Vitamin Sea.

"Johnson grabbed a safety line extending from the back of the boat and was pulled in," related Deputy Becky Herrin, information officer for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

"As [Johnson] reached the boat, the captain said Johnson ‘appeared to be lifeless.’ "

Cardiopulmonary efforts were started by the crew.

The U.S. Coast Guard relayed the emergency call for help to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement boat that was near the scene. Johnson was transferred to the Customs boat, and lifesaving efforts continued until the federal boat reached an ambulance waiting at Capt. Hook’s Marina on Vaca Cut.

Johnson was pronounced dead at Fishermen’s Hospital. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.

One account described Johnson suffering heart-attack-like symptoms, but an air embolism, causing internal injuries when a diver surfaces, could create similar symptoms.

The commercial dive boat from Abyss Dive Center was stopped at a reef site its staff calls Critter Ridge. Johnson reportedly was on an afternoon dive trip with his nephew and the nephew’s wife.

His is believed to be the sixth death that occurred in 2003 while the victim was scuba diving (one woman disappeared and is believed dead). One person died while free-diving.

In 2002, there were four apparent scuba-related deaths and two deaths while snorkeling.

***END OF ARTICLE***
 
GQMedic once bubbled...
One account described Johnson suffering heart-attack-like symptoms, but an air embolism, causing internal injuries when a diver surfaces, could create similar symptoms.
***END OF ARTICLE***
I love this kind of reporting!:confused: It's much more exciting to speculate then report just the facts. If this guy had died at home while watching TV, this reporter might have said:

"One account described Johnson suffering heart-attack-like symptoms, but sticking his finger into the TV's electrical circuits could create similar symptoms."

Oh, brother...
 
Robinhood once bubbled...
An air embolism from 30 feet...don't think so.

:wtf: shoot... doesn't work here either.

I think Rick has it right on though.

Ben
 
Scubaroo once bubbled...
Actually, this could *easily* happen from 30 feet. The change in pressure is from 2 ATA to 1ATA - that's a doubling of the volume of the gas in the lungs.

DAN say that it can occur from a depth as shallow as 4 feet.

http://www.scuba-doc.com/artgsemb.htm

Wow, never saw that study!
I guess I need to be careful next time I'm swimming underwater in the deep end of a swimming pool!!!!
 
Robinhood once bubbled...


Wow, never saw that study!
I guess I need to be careful next time I'm swimming underwater in the deep end of a swimming pool!!!!

Only if you're breathing from a scuba cylinder ... otherwise the air you breathed at the surface will compress as you descend, and expand back to it's original volume as you head back to the surface.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
7 deaths in 2003.. how many dives are done in the Keys every year ...sounds like a fairly low number (obviously 1 is too many).....
 

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