LAGUNA BEACH, California (5 Dec 2003) -- A Laguna Niguel man with rescue-diving training died Sunday after he sank near Treasure Island Cove while trying to fix a faulty inflator hose on his scuba gear. Daryll Shatz, 55, was 10 to 15 yards offshore when he tried to fix his equipment while still wearing his weight belt, Chief of Marine Safety Mark Klosterman said. Shatz also hadn't put on his fins yet, waiting until he had passed the surf line as many experienced divers do, Klosterman said. A friend diving with Shatz swam ashore and called 911 when he couldn't help keep Shatz above water. When authorities reached Shatz about an hour later, he was underwater about 10 feet out and couldn't be saved, Klosterman said. "This is a sad, sad case," Klosterman said. "It's frustrating for us that he was so close to shore." Shatz's diving buddy said they were on their 101st dive and that both had been trained in rescue-diving techniques. "You'd hope that he'd either drop the weight-belt or kick 10 or 15 yards to shore to fix his equipment," Klosterman said. "It looks like it took him longer to fix [the hose] than he thought, and they were both too tired when the situation became grave." | | The city's lifeguard staff is lightest from November through February, with only one two-person unit patrolling the beaches from Irvine Cove to Treasure Island, Klosterman said. Marine safety officers recommend that all scuba divers learn to become proficient free divers before going under with gear. "We always suggest that all divers, regardless of their experience, become more skill-dependent than equipment-dependent," Klosterman said. "There's always a chance that equipment can fail." The cause of Shatz's death is pending toxicology tests by the county coroner's office. SOURCE - LA Times |
