Diver Dies In Rough S. Florida Storm
Bad weather leads to man's death in waters off Cutler Bay
AP
One diver is dead and another two barely escaped with their lives after a massive storm swept over the waters 13 miles off Cutler Bay yesterday, police said.
One diver is dead and another two barely escaped with their lives after a massive storm swept over the waters 13 miles off Cutler Bay yesterday, police said.
The three divers were snorkeling near Fowey Rock Lighthouse when the storm hit, and as the waters started to get rough, they attempted to swim back to their boat.
One of the three, identified as 24-year-old Antonio Gonzalez, didn't make it back to the boat. The other two called for help, but by the time Gonzalez was found, about an hour later, rescuers were unable to resuscitate him.
"The investigation is still in its early stages...detectives do tell me that at this point in the investigation, they don't suspect foul play," said Juan Villalba, with the Miami-Dade Police Department. "However, an autopsy, a medical examiner's report, has not been conducted yet, and so they're still looking into the matter."
Joe Fernandez and his son Giovanni were in the vicinity of the diving accident when they heard the Coast Guard call for help.
"We were on channel 16, which is the life guard channel, and all of a sudden we heard that they were looking for a diver," said Giovanni.
"It's disturbing because it can happen to any one of us," said Joe. "We just have to be respectful of the ocean. Make sure we get as much training as we can, and you know observe the weather, any time we're out there."
Posted Monday, Sep 14, 2009 - 6:54 AM EST
