SAN DIEGO — Divers and swimmers are being urged to take caution after several water rescues and at least three deaths in the past six months.
Just last week, lifeguards rescued a scuba diver that was found 50 feet under water. The man was given CPR and was taken to the hospital. His condition is not known at this time.
“It’s dangerous. I would say dive execution, in particular, proximity of your buddy and compass work are two of the big deficiencies of modern day diving classes," said longtime scuba diving instructor at Scuba San Diego, Rod Watkins.
There have been several rescues in recent weeks alone. In October, the body of a 65-year-old man was found drifting in the water off La Jolla Shores.
In September, a man from Nebraska died after he was separated from his companion while scuba diving.
Back in May, a former La Jolla resident was pulled unconscious from the water at La Jolla Cove. He died several days later.
Watkins is a professional dive guide with more than 50 years of experience. He says the recent emergencies have the diving community on edge.
“It’s been a rough year for divers. Probably more diving accidents here in the last year than I’ve seen in 56 years," he said.
In a statement Monica Muñoz with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department says:
“La Jolla is a very popular place to dive. There are periods of time when no rescues take place and other times when there are a few rescues within a few months.”
She adds, “the volume of people diving means there is a higher chance that someone will experience a problem and possibly need to be rescued.”
However, she says, there’s nothing officials can attribute the incidents to because lifeguards don’t conduct investigations.
But Watkins says he believes it all comes down to training.
“The guide is not ultimately responsible for your safety, your training is supposed to keep you safe," said Watkins.
Watkins says one of the biggest challenges divers face is staying together with their buddy.
“What good is that gear going to do if the buddy who needs it is 20 feet away and we only have 15 feet of visibility," he said. "Once you're in the water the big challenge for our divemaster or guide leader is to keep these people in there buddy teams."
He also said there are several dangerous spots around La Jolla, including a sea cavern located just over half a mile from the cove, where he’s seen several people have to be rescued throughout the years.
"That’s a big danger point not only for divers but for snorkelers and for kayakers," he said.
He and lifeguards urge divers to always make sure to have the necessary equipment, be aware of weather and water conditions, visibility and kelp beds. They also encourage divers to never dive alone or outside of their comfort zone.
Watkins says diving can be demanding and people should keep physical fitness top of mind.
Divers should always check-in with lifeguards before going into the water.
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