Nov 1, 2009 4:32 pm US/Pacific
Woman Dies After Deep-Sea Certification Test
AVALON, Calif.
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Redlands resident Mona Towle, 56, was aiming for her deep-sea certification when she reportedly experienced a scuba equipment malfunction. She died while being transported to a hyperbaric chamber to treat her apparent decompression sickness. (File)
CBS
A Redlands woman died after suddenly surfacing during her deep-sea certification test on Catalina Island Sunday, deputies said.
Mona Towle, 56, died while being rushed from Avalon to Two Harbors, where she was to be treated for apparent decompression sickness, L.A. sheriff's deputy Robert Domin said.
Emergency personnel worked to revive Towle after she suddenly surfaced from more than 65 feet below the water at a marine sanctuary just north of Avalon's casino, another deputy said.
Towle was reportedly experiencing problems with her scuba equipment while ascending to the water's surface. Divers must ascend at a rate slow enough to avoid "the bends," a painful physical condition caused by an excessive concentration of nitrogen in the bloodstream.
The diver was being transported by boat for treatment at a hyperbaric chamber when her heart stopped, deputies said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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