Thursday, July 26, 2007

Diver lost off Florida Keys during "Mini-season"

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Saw this in the news today and this took place on the Florida Key that I worked on when I lived down and worked on a Sportfishing charter boat. Mini season brings many tourist and divers to the Keys each year where people are allowed to dive for Spiny Lobster on a "Recreational" permit and limit. It is regulated but with many events like this people fall victim to "GREED" and over do it...


Diver dies as lobster mini-season begins
BY YAMICHE ALCINDOR
yalcindor@MiamiHerald.com
A Florida man died Wednesday morning while scuba diving with his family off Cudjoe Key just hours into the two-day lobster mini-season.
James Gilkinson, 58, of Venice, was scuba diving in about 10 feet of water about 7 a.m. when he signaled to his son he was going to the surface, said Monroe County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jim Wirth. His wife, who was on board their boat, told authorities Gilkinson appeared to be struggling when he surfaced.
After helping her husband onto the boat, she yelled for help.
Firefighter paramedics and a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer heard her cries and arrived at the scene, where they performed CPR. Gilkinson was taken to a boat ramp and then transported by ambulance to Lower Keys Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
Becky Herrin, spokeswoman for MSO, said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of Gilkinson's death.
Last year, four people died in three Keys' diving accidents during the popular mini-season.


http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/181800.html

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