CAIRNS, Australia — A tourism promoter based in Cairns has blamed the diving death of an American tourist on "pre-existing medical problems". Dive Queensland boss, Col McKenzie, insinuated that an American who was diving off the big Osprey V dive charter boat died from a "heart attack". "While it is a tragedy, the statistics show the most likely cause of a diver's death at that age is heart failure," McKenzie said. In 1998, McKenzie attempted to cover up negligence when Americans Thomas and Eileen Longergan died after they were abandoned by a local dive boat operator. McKenzie allegedly urged local media to publish malicious rumors that the couple had faked their own deaths. Police investigation Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) in Cairns said they were notified of a diving accident emergency at about 11:00am yesterday. According to EMQ, the scuba diving accident victim encountered problems at the surface after scuba diving at Saxon Reef. "Preliminary investigations indicate the man, who is an international tourist, had gone scuba diving with a group of people around 10:30am," said police media spokeswoman Jacinda Brown. "He resurfaced and was seen snorkelling on the water surface but was located just after 11:00am unconscious." The victim was pulled back aboard Down Under Dive's vessel Osprey V but never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on the boat. The fatal scuba diving accident is under investigation and the cause of death has not yet been determined. | 
