POINT PLEASANT BEACH, New York (6 July 2007) -- A diver investigating a sunken military vessel more than 100 feet below the surface of the ocean died Wednesday after what might have been a malfunction of his breathing apparatus, officials said. Nathaniel Yangco, 32, of 242 10th St. in Jersey City, died during a dive investigating a sunken ship roughly 50 miles from the Manasquan River shore area, said Capt. Jeff Harper of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. He was coming from the Jeanne II, a 45-foot scuba diving and wreck diving boat out of Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. The boat was taking a charter trip to a 435-foot military vessel that was sunk and became an artificial reef, he said. According to the Web site for the Jeanne II, the trip was to the USN Algol (Village Divers Charter). The site said the dive is between 80-120 feet down, but Harper said a diver told him it was more like 140 feet. At about 1:30 p.m., his dive partner reported Yangco had trouble with his regulator, part of the breathing apparatus in the mouthpiece, he said. "His dive partner came up with him. Then he turned around and (Yangco) was gone," he said. "The dive instructor went down two times looking for him before he found him on the bottom," he said. | | A diver who who died while scuba diving off the Jeanne II dive boat has been identified as Nathaniel Yangco of Jersey City. The Coast Guard brought Yangco's body to its Point Pleasant Beach station. Yangco's autopsy was performed at 6 p.m. last night, but the cause of death was not released. SOURCE - Ocean County ObserverSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
