Boat’s Captain Dies Diving on Wreck Near Key Largo
Free diving accident occured in 120 ft. of water
Posted Monday, October 8, 2007
Key Largo – A Tavernier man died Friday while free diving on the wreck “Duane” off shore of Key Largo.
37 year old Michael Smith was the captain on board a dive vessel on a dive trip to the Duane Friday. The vessel was from the Quiescence Dive Center in Key Largo. A group of divers told Deputy Vaughn O’Keefe they were on their second planned dive of the day and were ascending when they saw Smith descending down one of the boat’s mooring lines. He was reportedly free diving, wearing mask, snorkel and fins.
The group returned to the vessel, but when 10 – 15 minutes passed and they didn’t see Smith, they began to worry. They searched the surface for him and, not seeing him, two of them reentered the water to search. Smith’s body was found on the starboard side of the wreck, face down in the sand in about 120 feet of water.
They had to return to the boat because they were running out of air. They switched to new tanks then returned to retrieve his body. They then called the Coast Guard to report the incident.
They began to motor in and met with the Coast Guard on the way to Pennekamp State Park. The Coast Guard escorted them to the park, where they arrived at 6:30 p.m. Smith was pronounced dead on arrival by paramedics.
