Guess it's not just cave divers... Jeez!

[BgDadddy]

KEY LARGO, Fla. -- Three divers died Friday off the Florida Keys while attempting to explore a wreck of a U.S. military ship sunk as an artificial reef, authorities said. It was unclear how they died.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said four men were diving in and around the USS Spiegel Grove when one of the men surfaced because he started to run out of air.

Two divers from another boat explored the wreck to look for the remaining men. They pulled up one diver, who was taken to a hospital. He was later pronounced dead.


The two remaining divers never surfaced and Key Largo rescue authorities later found their bodies. But detectives said the bodies are still deep within the wreckage of the ship, making a recovery attempt challenging.

The men were reportedly advanced certified divers. Their names have not been released.

[skip]

this news is all over the deco stop:

http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23726

-skip

[Oister]

I dove a boat where Scott Stanley was the mate I also talked to him at the local training quarry. He seemed like a nice guy. It's sad I never knew anyone who died diving. Really sad.

[allen]

I am saddened (and horrified ) by the loss of 3 lives on one of our Keys wrecks.
The accident analysis is that ALL overhead environments require a guideline. Experience does not make the rules invalid. A wreck is really a steel cave. The Jay Scutti (off Ft. Lauderdale) has a permanent guideline. Other wreck penetrations require a reel. Wrecks actually silt out more often than caves do. Line penetration of a shallow wreck is fun. Penetrating a deep wreck with a single tank is impractical because there isn't time enough to secure, run, and reel in the line.