Body of Diver to Be Returned to His Birthplace in Guatemala
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The body of a 45-year-old Huntington Park man who drowned while scuba diving near Santa Cruz Island will be returned to his birthplace in Guatemala for burial, according to a family friend.
Oscar Urzua was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. Deputy Ventura County Coroner Mitch Breeze said Urzua died from a combination of decompression sickness and drowning.
Urzua, who worked as a mechanic for Smart & Final in Huntington Park, came to the United States about 16 years ago, said family friend Luis Ortega.
Bob Hammon, manager of the Halverson-Luce Mortuary in Huntington Park, said Urzua’s body will be taken to Guatemala as soon as it is released from the Ventura County coroner’s office. A rosary probably will be held Thursday evening.
Urzua is survived by his wife, Silvia, a son, Oscar, 23, and a 15-year-old daughter, Melissa.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, Urzua was diving from the boat Sea Venture, based in Port Hueneme, when his oxygen ran out, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Wilkins, in Oxnard. His buoyancy vest inflated and Urzua ascended to the surface.
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