Two Scuba Divers Die Off Shore of Key Largo in Two Separate Incidents
A Maryland woman and a Wisconsin man died on Sunday and Monday while diving local wrecks

Posted Monday, December 31, 2007

 
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Key Largo - A Maryland woman scuba diving with her family off shore of Key Largo died Sunday afternoon.

According to her husband, David Clissold, 50 year old Nancy Kreiter of Bel Air, Maryland wanted to learn to dive for ten years so she, her husband and their two children traveled to the Keys to fulfill that dream. They all took scuba diving lessons together and became certified just two days prior to her death. On Sunday, they went out on board a commercial dive vessel out of John Pennekamp State Park. They were diving on the Benwood Wreck. Kreiter was diving with her son and her husband was diving with their daughter.

Witnesses told Deputy Kyle Page Kreiter and her son surfaced and swam back to the boat. She took off her fins and began climbing onto the boat. He returned to the water to continue diving. On the boat's ladder, Kreiter reportedly collapsed and stopped breathing. She was brought on board the boat and crew members began CPR. The Captain called for help from another dive boat which was nearby. He asked that boat - which was reportedly smaller and faster - to take her to shore for medical assistance while he stayed and picked up the remaining divers from both boats and returned them to shore.

Paramedics met the boat at Port Largo Homeowner's Park, on Marina Avenue. She was pronounced dead shortly after. Homicide Detective Terry Smith was assigned to the case and took her dive gear into custody for
examination. An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of her death.

Second diver to die in Key Largo this week

Key Largo - A Wisconsin man died while diving off shore of Key Largo
today.

The 51 year old man, whose name is being withheld pending notification
of his family, was out on the Gulf Stream Eagle out of the Atlantis Dive
Center. It was his second dive. His first dive was on the Duane wreck,
and the second on the Bibb wreck.

His dive buddy said they'd been down for about 25 minutes and were
surfacing. They did a safety stop and the dive buddy said the victim
left the safety stop about a minute before he did. He said he surfaced
and a crew member from the boat was assisting him with removal of his
equipment when they noticed the victim, face down near the surface.

The victim was pulled on board and crew members began CPR. The Coast
Guard responded to a distress call and took the victim to shore, where
he was pronounced dead, at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Sheriff's Homicide Detective Terry Smith has been assigned to
investigate. The victim's dive gear and his body are both in the
possession of the Medical Examiner's Office. The gear will be examined,
and an autopsy will be done to determine the cause of the victim's
death.