A 42-year old Port Alberni resident perished in a scuba diving accident Sunday night after being entangled in a fishing net at Harbour Quay, Staff Sgt. Kevin Murray said.
The man’s identity is being withheld at the request of his family, Murray added.
Harbour Quay is a mix of tourism and industrial-related businesses located on Port Alberni's waterfront.
The man surfaced from his dive behind Port Boat House in a panicked state and yelled at his wife on shore to call for help before he submerged again. He did not resurface, Murray said.
Emergency crews including the Canadian Coast Guard and the coast guard auxiliary responded to a call of a diver in distress at the quay at 8:50 p.m. on Sunday.
Upon arrival, coast guard and fire personnel pulled the fishing net to shore with the diver still tangled in it, unconscious and not breathing.
The man was rushed to West Coast General Hospital where medical personnel pronounced him dead.
Murray did not know how the man became entangled in the net, and added that the man was diving alone.
Police are still working on identifying who the owner of the net was.
reporter@albernivalleynews.com