U.S. Capital

Two Teens Dead In Mysterious Scuba Diving Accident

Jun 9, 2011

Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) June 8, 2011 – Tragedy randomly struck two families whose teenaged sons died at the bottom of the ocean. It is unclear what caused their deaths.

“This reported case was a great shock to the two families involved,” said Brooks Schuelke, an Austin personal injury lawyer with Perlmutter & Schuelke, L.L.P. “Two young men, ages 16 and 17, went missing from their charter boat on a diving expedition. They were subsequently found at the bottom of the ocean in full cardiac arrest.”

The two were out for the day on an expedition to dive in Monterey Bay. The day started out normally enough when the two suited up to dive. It was not until the two did not return to their charter boat at the appointed time that the crew mounted an all out search for them. “Forty-five minutes later, they were located on the sand at the bottom of the ocean, brought up and taken to hospital with paramedics performing CPR all the way. Neither of them made it and were pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after arrival,” Schuelke said.

The police report was not clear on when the two young men got into trouble or what happened that caused them to lose their lives. The best estimates they could approximate indicated the two may have experienced trouble at a depth of 40 to 80 feet. Why that happened remains a mystery and there are many unanswered questions that need answers.

“For instance, did the two have defective diving gear? Non-functional hoses? Contaminated air? Or had they both descended too far too fast, and realizing they may be in trouble, started to rocket back to the surface, and experienced the bends? Only the coroner will be able to answer those questions now. Once the families know the results, they may wish to call an experienced injury lawyer and discuss their options,” Schuelke said.

Every personal injury case, such as these wrongful deaths, is different. No two cases are alike, but they may be similar – similar enough to allow a lawyer to outline what may happen when a lawsuit is filed. If it is a wrongful death lawsuit, there is a different approach taken to put together a case, as opposed to a product liability or defective product lawsuit.

The circumstances of a case largely dictate what type of lawsuit may be filed, which means a case could involve two facets of law at the same time. For example, a wrongful death as the result of a defective product. “If you have experienced the loss of someone you loved as a result of an accident, make a call to an experienced Austin injury lawyer. It’s my job to explain how wrongful death cases are filed, what you may expect if we go to settlement or to court, and how long your case may take,” Schuelke said.

Wrongful death cases are filed under a specific statute, and are not the same as personal injury cases; a distinction many people do not quite understand. Hiring a skilled Austin injury lawyer will help you pursue your goal that justice is done and the award is one the plaintiff deserves.

To learn more or to contact an Austin personal injury lawyer or Austin personal injury attorney, visit http://www.civtrial.com.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP
1717 W. 6th Street, Suite 375
Austin, Texas 78703-4868
Call (512) 476-4944