Posted by on July 26, 2004 at 03:28:59:
A 50-year-old Port Hueneme man drowned Saturday night while scuba diving in the Channel Islands area, authorities reported Sunday.
George Torres was with a group of scuba divers anchored near Santa Cruz Island about 9:40 p.m. when he drowned.
The other divers called the U.S. Coast Guard for help when they saw his body come afloat. He had no pulse and was not breathing when he surfaced, said James Horton, a petty officer for the Coast Guard office in San Diego.
A Coast Guard helicopter based in Los Angeles responded to the call, Horton said, but Torres was unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived.
The cause of the mishap was unclear Sunday. Coroner officials said an autopsy is scheduled for today.