San Diego, A Hotbed of Diving Casualties

In the last eight months of 2023, San Diego divers had four open-water emergencies and three deaths.

In November, lifeguards rescued a scuba diver who was found 50 feet underwater. The man was given CPR and taken to a hospital. In October, the body of a 65-year-old man was found drifting off La Jolla Shores. In September, a man from Nebraska died of a heart attack after he was separated from his buddy. In May, a diver was pulled unconscious from the La Jolla Cove. He died several days later.

"It's been a rough year for divers. Probably more diving accidents in the last year than I've seen in 56 years," said Rod Watkins, longtime scuba diving instructor at Scuba San Diego. "I would say dive execution, in particular, the proximity of your buddy, and compass work are two of the big deficiencies of modern-day diving classes."

Watkins says 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.

Council of Divers President Joel Tracey said La Jolla Cove is a "rocky reef structure with waves that come in from all directions. There are submerged rocks that create rip currents and cause waves to bend. These things wouldn't be apparent to a novice diver. You would want to go with an experienced dive partner or a professional diver that knows."

Winter water temperatures range from 55°-61°F, while in September it peaks between 66° and 72°F.

Watkins says one of divers' biggest challenges 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? "

- From a story by Rocio De La Fe, Channel 8 News, San Diego, and a story by Ashley Mackin-Solomon in the La Jolla Light