A 56-year-old male scuba-diver died at Bear Lake in northern Utah in the USA yesterday afternoon (13 June).
Greg Jonas from West Valley City had been part of a group diving at a depth of 27-30m when the incident occurred, according to Rich County Sheriff’s Office, which reported receiving an emergency call at 1.44pm.
Jonas was brought ashore by other divers as Department of Natural Resources rangers, sheriff’s office personnel and medical units arrived at the scene. He was airlifted by medical helicopter to Logan Regional Hospital, but later pronounced dead. No cause of death has been given.
Bear Lake, a popular location for divers with attractions including unique endemic fish, straddles the Utah-Idaho border about 1,800m above sea level, making decompression and no-stop limits subject to altitude-adjustment on dive-computers.
Large, deep and cold (around 15°C at the time), the lake’s turquoise colour, which derives from suspended calcium carbonate, has led to it being described as the “Caribbean of the Rockies”.
Jonas had been diving near Cisco Beach on its east side, within the Utah Bear Lake State Park area and some 240km from his hometown.
