USA: Florida diver killed by 'hit and run' boater

A man diving off the beach Saturday evening was struck by a motorboat in an apparent accident. The diver died after a boat ran him over just off the beach in Hollywood.

The boat did not stop, but the skipper may not have realized he hit anyone, police said.

The diver's name was not immediately available. He and another man were diving about 7:15 p.m. off the beach in the 6000 block of North Ocean Drive, near John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, said Officer Jorge L. Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The diver who survived and witnessed the accident told investigators the boat kept going.

"It's possible they didn't know they struck a human being," said Hollywood police Capt. Tony Rode, who provided initial information but later deferred to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It might have just been an unfortunate accident."

After the accident, someone called the U.S. Coast Guard, who in turn notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Pino said.

Authorities pulled the dead man from the water and took him to the Coast Guard station at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park.

The surviving diver also was taken to the station, where he was interviewed by wildlife commission officers. He provided few details about the boat that killed the other diver.

"We've got a very vague description of the vessel," Pino said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating.

Source: BY KEVIN DEUTSCH at www.underwatertimes.com