Two deaths while snorkeling

off Marathon, Dry Tortugas

BY RALPH MORROW

MANAGING EDITOR

Two people, a Pennsylvania woman and a man from Texas, died while snorkeling offshore of the Florida Keys, one on Thursday near Marathon, the other on Friday off the Dry Tortugas, according to Becky Herrin, spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

 

On Thursday, the Pennsylvania woman, Lesley Clark, 54, was snorkeling offshore of Marathon on board the commercial dive vessel operated by Sea Dog Charters out of Burdine’s Waterfront, reported Herrin. They were on a trip to Sombrero Light with a group of other snorkelers.

 

Witnesses told Sheriff’s Deputies Matt O’Neill and Rosa DiGiovanni the victim was in the water when she began coughing up blood about 2:30 p.m. She was pulled on board the dive vessel, which started for shore. It was met by a Coast Guard vessel which was training in the area. The Coast Guard transported the victim to shore to meet with paramedics.

 

According to a friend who was on the trip with her, Clark was on numerous medications and had a pacemaker. Clark was transported to Fishermen’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

 

On Friday, Deputy Kim Trullender responded to Lower Keys Medical Center after the Texas man, Donald Tinker, 59, who’d been snorkeling off the Dry Tortugas was brought in and was declared dead.

 

Tinker and his wife had taken the ferry to the Dry Tortugas that morning, said Herrin. The victim’s wife said they went snorkeling off the beach. She said she was having trouble with her mask so she went back to shore. When she returned to the water, she could not find her husband.

 

She said two other men pulled him from the water and they began performing CPR. A rescue helicopter responded and flew him to LKMC.

 

Autopsies will be performed to determine the cause of both deaths.

 

 

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