Posted by . on May 21, 2001 at 15:27:47:
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/ve/article/0,1375,VCS_251_520694,00.html
Autopsy finds scuba diver ran out of air
ACCIDENTAL: Santa Clarita woman died Saturday near Santa Cruz Island.
A Santa Clarita woman died while scuba diving Saturday because she had insufficient air in her scuba tank, authorities said Sunday.
An autopsy of Katherine Ann Sentner, 56, found that she died of asphyxia by drowning because of depleted air in her scuba tank, said Mitch Breese, a senior deputy medical examiner-investigator for the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office.
Her death has been ruled an accident, Breese said.
Sentner was part of a diving expedition near Santa Cruz Island at Scorpion Cove.
She was on a 65-foot boat called Explorer that left from Ventura Harbor.
The dive started at about 12:45 p.m and after 12 minutes, Sentner's diving partner came to the surface, authorities said.
The partner went down to look for Sentner but she was not where she should have been.
The partner found Sentner unconscious a short time later.
Divers brought her to the surface at 1:10 p.m., but she had stopped breathing and had turned blue.
She was pronounced dead at 2:59 p.m.
A man who attempted to rescue Sentner was taken to St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo.
He was suffering from the bends, a condition that occurs when divers surface too quickly.
He was treated and released Saturday night, a nursing supervisor said Sunday.
May 21, 2001 Copyright 2001, Ventura County Star. All Rights Reserved.