VICTORIA, British Columbia — A 16-year-old Victoria youth drowned while scuba diving just north of Courtenay yesterday afternoon. According to unconfirmed reports, the scuba diving accident victim was Andrew Paone, a grade 11 student at Victoria's Glenlyon Norfolk School. Witnesses said Paone was diving with his father at a popular dive spot at the end of Singing Sands Road near the King Coho Resort when the two became separated. A Comox Valley RCMP dive team was called in to look for the teen, and found him about 15 metres from the shore in shallow water. Divers dragged him to the beach, where paramedics tried to save him, said paramedic and local dive shop owner Bill Coltart. The teen was pronounced dead in hospital in Comox. Conditions were good yesterday with good water visibility and little current in the area, Coltart said. The area is a popular site for beginner divers because conditions are relatively calm and the water is shallow, said Coltart, who owns Pacific Pro Dive Ltd. in Courtenay. Coltart said he can't recall any diving-related deaths in the area since he opened the business in 1994. The boy and his family were vacationing in the area, Hall said. B.C. Coroners Service will conduct an autopsy and RCMP will inspect the diving gear to determine if a malfunction occurred. by Katie DeRosa | 
