A man who was scuba diving about 10 miles southwest of Point Loma died Sunday after having a medical emergency under the water, the Coast Guard reported.
The man, who officials confirmed was 42 years old, was diving with a group of 11 others at a ship wreck site known as Hogan when he had a medical emergency and lost consciousness, Coast Guard spokesman Henry Dunphy said. The man was diving from the 40 foot Delta dive boat Marrisa based out of Mission Bay.
The diver was helped to the surface by his diving partner and a call was placed to the Coast Guard just after noon, Dunphy said. A Coast Guard boat that was training about five miles from the dive spot immediately responded to the call.
The man and his dive partner were taken on the Coast Guard boat where Coast Guard officers performed CPR on the unconscious diver, Dunphy said. The man was turned over to medical emergency responders at Ballast Point, inside the Silver Gate, around 12:55 p.m.
A medical examiner on scene pronounced the man dead shortly after arrival, according to Dunphy.
The Marissa Dive Charters website lists the diving site Hogan as being at a depth of about 125 feet. Only certified experienced divers are allowed to dive at such depths.
According to the Marrisa website, the USS Hogan was a Wickes class destroyer launched in 1919 that earned six battle stars in World War II and was sunk intentionally in 1945.
The Marissa’s website listed Lora Meyer as the boat’s captain.
— City News Service