Huntington Beach : Woman Dies While Diving Off Catalina
A Huntington Beach woman died early Sunday in a scuba diving accident in 120 feet of water off Santa Catalina Island, authorities said.
Debra Cassel, 26, died of cardiac arrest at Memorial Medical Center of Long Beach at 3:45 a.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Drew Basey said.
Cassel and Markley Gordon of Fullerton were scuba diving off his sailboat, “Flash,” anchored near Casino Point, Basey said.
The two had descended into the water to check whether the anchor was secure, Basey said. Gordon had started to ascend when he noticed Cassel sitting on the ocean floor at a depth of 120 feet.
Gordon told deputies that he went back down to try to help her but began to black out. Paramedics with the Sheriff’s Bay Watch, responding to Gordon’s call for help, brought the woman to the surface.
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