A 64-year-old Vancouver man is dead following a scuba diving accident off Whytecliff Park, West Vancouver police have confirmed.
Police received a report of an unconscious man being pulled from the water on Dec. 30 at noon.
Bystanders and paramedics were already on the scene attempting to revive the man when officers arrived, according to a release from Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, West Vancouver police spokesman. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
“This is a sad situation,” Goodmurphy said. “We commend the efforts of the bystanders who attempted to revive the diver.”
The man’s dive partner indicated to police it was likely an equipment malfunction but that won’t be known for certain until the Coast Guard has inspected the gear and the BC Coroners Service has determined the cause of death, Goodmurphy said.
“He was a very experienced scuba diver with over 30 years of diving experience,” he said. “It doesn't appear as though there was anything suspicious about it. It was likely just a horrible accident.”
Whytecliff Park is a popular location for divers. A 43-year-old Surrey woman died there in 2016 after going into medical distress in the water. In January 2012 an experienced diver in his 60s was presumed drowned after he became separated from his diving partner and failed to surface. In November 2008, a 61-year-old diving instructor died at Whytecliff Park after being found unconscious by his students.
