ISLAMORADA, Florida — A diving accident killed a young man as he hunted for lobsters during a family reunion in the Florida Keys. Authorities told CDNN that Brian Harlin, a 25-year-old bartender who lived in Brandon, and his father, Keith Harlin, were diving for lobsters this morning at Indian Key Channel off a boat equipped with a hookah rig. According to Brian's mother, Moida "Kathy" Harlin, at about 8:00 am, he lost both fins and his air hose broke as he pulled on it against the strong current while struggling to get back into the boat. Although Brian maintained a steady exercise regimen and was described as fit, he was swept under by strong currents because he failed to ditch his weight belt according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. The family rescued Brian but when they pulled him back on the boat, he was unconscious and not breathing. They started CPR as they raced back to Indian Key Fill boat ramp, where paramedics took over emergency resuscitation and rushed the diving accident victim to Mariners Hospital, but he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at the medical facility. Brian, who leaves behind a three-month-old son, became the sixth person to die during Florida's annual lobster season, which kicked off with last week's 2-day "mini-season" prelude. Although the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials and local television and newspaper media continue to state that four people died during the annual mini-season event, in fact, five divers died including Norman Williams, 60, Bruce Ellwood Cook, 58, Scott Schichtel, 39, Shane Slusarz, 36, and Daniel Pochedley, 48. CDNN has not been able to determine why Florida officials continue to erroneously undercount the number of diving fatalities that occurred during the 2009 lobster mini-season. Florida's dangerous, diver-unfriendly waters On July 30, Norman Williams Jr., 60, became the fifth diving accident victim during Florida's lobster mini-season after he was hit by a boat near Key West.On July 30, Bruce Ellwood Cook, 58, became the fourth diving accident victim during Florida's lobster mini-season.On July 30, Scott Schichtel, 39, became the third diving accident victim during Florida's lobster mini-season.On July 29, Shane Slusarz, 36, became the second diver to die during lobster mini-season.On July 29, Daniel Pochedley, 48, of Sarasota, was found dead about an hour after disappearing near Haulover Beach on the first day of lobster mini-season.On July 24, the U.S. Coast Guard airlifted David Baptist, 57, to Florida Hospital after he resurfaced with signs of potentially fatal decompression sickness.On July 23, a 57-year-old woman was rushed to hospital after she resurfaced from a dive to 18 meters with symptoms of potentially fatal decompression sickness.Also on July 23, a 38-year-old man was rushed to hospital after he started spitting up blood following a dive off Pompano Beach.On July 19, Lana Gandert, 58, of Edison, Ohio, died while snorkel diving with her husband and two sons at Sand Key Light, Florida.On July 17, popular elementary school teacher, David Sheppard, 60, of Cross City, died while diving off Steinhatchee, Florida, after he was hit by a boat.On July 16, Michael Manna, 46, apparently drowned five days after he married while snorkel diving at DuBois Park, Florida.On July 12, Craig Winnerman, 48, was rescued after his boat drifted away in strong winds while he was scuba diving alone near Dunedin Reef, Florida.On July 10, Richard Losz, 37, died off Hollywood, Florida, while scuba diving alone.On July 7, Daniel Goepel, 29, of Coral Springs died while snorkel diving off the Dolphin dive boat at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.On July 5, two more divers who were diving off Hollywood, Florida, were hospitalized after they were hit by a speed boat.On July 4, searchers found the body of 31-year-old Darren Rordan who died while scuba diving off Manatee County, Florida.On June 8, the Coast Guard airlifted Bill Nelson, 55, to Shands Hospital for emergency medical treatment of potentially fatal decompression sickness (the bends) after a scuba diving accident off Tampa, Florida.On June 4, William Husic Jr, 61, a chemical engineer who resides in Brighton, died while snorkel diving at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys.On May 30, Robert A. Jones, 38, of Zephyrhills, died while solo free diving in a cave at Blue Spring State Park, Florida.On May 10, Timothy Allen, 52, and Paula Allen, 48, were rescued off Hernando Beach, Florida, after drifting in the ocean for nearly 24 hours. The couple were swept away from their boat while scuba diving in strong currents.On May 5, NOAA research diver, Dewey Smith, 36, died while diving at the Aquarius underwater laboratory in the Florida Keys.On May 3, searchers recovered the body of Michael McQuillen, 29, of Lakeland, who disappeared the day before while scuba diving with friends west of John's Pass, Florida.On April 12, Mary Darnley, a 58-year-old retired nurse from Pennsylvania who had recently learned to dive, died while scuba diving with her husband off Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida.On March 20, a man in his 40s who was scuba diving off the Emerald Dive Charters boat, was rushed to hospital for treatment of potentially fatal decompression sickness (the bends).On February 18, Joseph Diver, 66, was rushed to hospital after a boat struck him while he was scuba diving at Pickles Reef in the Florida Keys.On January 11, two women in their 20s were rushed to Boca Raton Community Hospital after a boat hit them off Boca Raton, Florida.On January 10, Rob Murphy, 26, lost both legs after a hit and run boat struck him while he was scuba diving near Sandsprit Park, Florida. | | Brian Harlin, 25, who leaves behind a 3-month-old son, became the sixth diver to die during Florida's lobster season which kicked off with the annual 2-day mini-season prelude in July a week before the official opening day of the seven-month "bug" hunting season.
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