SANTA MONICA—A 38-year-old scuba diver was rescued by Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies and Los Angeles County Firefighters on Wednesday, October 14, after a hunt for spiny lobsters caused him to run out of air.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Nixle account, Sergeant Frank Ruiz confirms that at 12:00 p.m. the diver, a Ventura County resident, was rushed by private boat to Marina Del Ray Sheriff’s Station where he was treated by Marina Patrol deputies and paramedics from the Los Angeles County Fire Department for a dive related emergency.
The diver, who has over 20 years of diving experience, was transferred from an ambulance to a Los Angeles County Fire Department rescue helicopter, which took him to UCLA Medical Center for advanced treatment. The diver’s name has not been released to the public.
This is the second rescue mission since the opening of lobster season. A diving incident on October 3 required emergency medical evaluation in the Marina Del Rey area.
Both the Marina Del Rey Marine Patrol Unit and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a reminder via the Sheriff Department’s Nixle account for all divers to follow important safety tips.
The tips include:
-have a medical assessment by a doctor before diving
-always dive with a buddy, and leave details of your dive trip with someone ashore who will report you overdue if you run into trouble
-plan your dive, follow your plan, and provide your emergency plan to someone on shore
-only conduct dives that match your training, experience, and fitness level
-have a certified professional service your equipment yearly
-constantly monitor your own, and your buddy’s air usage
Sgt. Ruiz indicated that no human life is worth a lobster.
