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Diver safety critical during 2009 Florida
mini lobster season
A 39-year-old man died Thursday afternoon while diving for lobsters three miles south of the St. Lucie Inlet, officials said. The 2009 Florida mini lobster season began yesterday.
The diver, whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin, was scuba diving about 3 miles south of the inlet, said Ed Kirkpatrick of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Diver safety during Florida mini lobster season 2009 was discussed in this earlier article: Keeping Divers Safe during 2009 mini lobster season in Florida
About 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Martin County Fire Rescue received a 911 call about a 39-year-old male having heart problems after surfacing from diving, said Jon Belding, Fire Rescue bureau chief.
The man’s brother told deputies the man said he was tired and needed to sit down, Kirkpatrick said.
On Wednesday, 36-year-old Shane Slusarz, of Winter Springs, died after diving northeast of the Sebastian Inlet and a 47-year-old diver from Sarasota was found dead in 17 feet of water off Haulover Beach, north of Miami Beach.
The dive industry is working hard to stress diver safety during the 2-day Florida mini lobster season. The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) has been distributing and broadcasting a :30 second Public Service Announcement. Watch it here: Diver safety during 2009 Florida lobster season.
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