Rebreather death question

[jasondbaker]

Diver dies near Straits shipwreck

Wisconsin man was diving the Cedarville; sheriff warns that safety precautions must be observed

By ERICA KOLASKI

Tribune Staff Writer

CHEBOYGAN - A Wisconsin man drowned late Sunday morning while diving near a shipwreck in the Straits of Mackinaw.

Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont said that the 57-year-old male victim's name could not be released until notification of next of kin.

Clarmont said that the department's Search and Rescue Dive Team was requested by the U.S. Coast Guard to respond to the Straits Of Mackinaw at 10:45 a.m. Sunday to investigate a possible drowning.

Clarmont said that the Coast Guard in St. Ignace received an emergency call for help from recreational divers on the Cedarville ship wreck.

"The caller indicated that a member of their recreational dive group was overdue on his dive and they were requesting emergency assistance," said Clarmont.

He said that the dive team was on the scene within 45 minutes of the call and that the body of the victim was recovered within 10 minutes of the arrival by two civilian divers from the charter boat Rec Diver who were on the scene.

Clarmont explained that the Cedarville is a 588-foot metal freighter that was shipwrecked in 1965 in a collision with the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord and is located in the Straits in about 110 feet of water. Ten crewmen from the Cedarville died in the collision.

"The wreck is a recreational dive site frequented by numerous recreational divers during the summer months," he said.

Reports state that the victim had many years of diving experience. His body was recovered within 30 feet of the shipwreck in approximately 108 feet of water, said Clarmont.

This is the second diving accident that led to a drowning in the Great Lakes this month. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported that on Aug. 24, Laura Krause, 27, of Kingsley was scuba diving with her father in high winds and waves near the submerged wreck of Three Brothers shipwreck near the South Manitou Island lighthouse.

The Leelanau County Sheriff's Department reported that a Coast Guard rescue crew airlifted Krause from the island's shoreline after National Park Service rangers tried to resuscitate her with CPR.

Both drownings remain under investigation.

Clarmont stated Sunday that he would like to remind recreational divers to always follow all recommended safety procedures, dive with a buddy-diver and stay within prescribed time limits for recreational diving.