LAKE TAHOE, California — A woman died after complaining of abdominal pain soon after scuba diving in Lake Tahoe. Authorities told CDNN that Marie Wolf, 67, was scuba diving with an instructor but it was not known if she was participating in a dive course. According to a Washoe County Sheriff's Office, at about 3:25 pm the woman collapsed on the beach at Sand Harbor State Park after resurfacing and complaining of abdominal pain. Sheriff's deputies who were alerted about a diver in distress, started CPR after they found the woman unconscious and not breathing. Rescue personnel from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District took over a few minutes later when they arrived at the scene. A CareFlight helicopter also assisted in attempts to save the woman. According to the Washoe County Coroner's Office, the woman never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 4:09 pm. An autopsy was performed but a final report on the cause of death could take up to four months. Decompression sickness (the bends) Well over half of scuba divers afflicted with decompression illness report symptoms within 1 hour of surfacing from the dive, some 95% of victims show symptoms within six hours and almost all show symptoms within 24-48 hours. Nitrogen bubbles released while resurfacing cause damage by mechanically obstructing blood flow and can also cause a local chemical disruption of the vascular beds. Any scuba diving accident victim with signs or symptoms of decompression illness, which can cause death or permanent paralysis, should IMMEDIATELY SEEK EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT. Specific symptoms include: Mild to severe joint pains involving the arms or legs.Itching of the skin, which can progress to other symptoms of decompression illness.Rashes that can be accompanied by itching.Swollen and painful lymph nodes.Pain in the head, neck, or torso, which is often indicative of a severe DSC hit.Nervous system complaints, such as weakness on one side of the body, numbness, pains shooting down an arm or leg, inability to urinate or defecate, or other strokelike symptoms. "Chokes" including burning chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath."Staggers" (indicating an inner ear problem) including a spinning sensation, deafness, ringing in the ears, or vomiting. | 
