CAYMAN ISLANDS (27 Apr 2009) — An American tourist died while scuba diving with Divers Down off Grand Cayman. Authorities said the scuba diving accident victim, whose name has not yet been released, was a 58-year-old man from Colorado Springs. Witnesses told CDNN the man disappeared while scuba diving with four other divers off a dive boat owned and operated by Divers Down. At about 1:55 pm, after the crew of the dive boat called for help, authorities received a call from a sport fishing boat reporting that they found the missing diver floating unconscious in the water off Dolphin Pointe, West Bay. People aboard the fishing boat started CPR but apparently the victim never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead after paramedics took him to a hospital. Divers Down declined to discuss the accident, which was third diving fatality in the Caymans in 2009. There were nine diving-related deaths in the Cayman Islands in 2008. Unsustainable tourism Once considered the best scuba diving holiday destination in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands have steadily declined in popularity over the past decade due to overpricing, overdevelopment, eco-unfriendly cruise ship tourism, marine wildlife harassment (Stingray City), coral reef degradation and increasing concerns that diving-related fatalities are linked to the failure of dive boat operators to comply with commonly accepted dive safety procedures. Hoping to lure divers back to the Caymans, local tourism promoters announced last October that the government would adopt Florida's scheme to replace dying coral reefs with value-added scuba diving product comprised of scuttled U.S. Navy warships. Promoters said they hope to sink the 77-meter, 2,290 tonne USS Kittiwake later this year. | 
