Man Dies During Technical Dive In Lake Mead

A 40-year-old Las Vegas man died on Saturday, February 9th, while participating in a technical dive in the area around the submerged PBY Catalina flying boat that crashed into Lake Mead in 1949. The park’s dispatch center received a relayed 911 call reporting the accident just before 2 p.m. Rangers responded by boat and were soon on scene. They performed CPR on the diver for about 45 minutes, but without avail. Mercy Air 11 also responded, and medical personnel on board pronounced the man dead at about 3 p.m. The victim was diving with three other Las Vegas men when he apparently had a problem with his air supply. The park is currently investigating. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The submerged aircraft is a popular diving spot for technical divers and is in the Boulder Basin area of Lake Mead.