Student diver drowns in Trout River during underwater welding training

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says man in his 40s had unidentified complications

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A student at commercial diving school CDA Technical Institute drowned Thursday in the Trout River while doing low visibility underwater welding training, authorities said.

Sgt. Steve Rudlaff, with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, said the man was between 40 and 45 years old.

After entering the water for the training, the man had unidentified complications, Rudlaff said.

“He started having complications. Rescue divers went into the water. They were able to bring him out of the water and started CPR,” Rudlaff said.

The man was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where he died.

The cause of the drowning was not immediately known. No foul play is suspected, Rudlaff said. The body will be taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

“There were other students belonging to the institute taking the low visibility class, however, it is very low visibility, so there are instructors and there are also rescue divers,” Rudlaff said.

The school, located on Trout River Drive, is cooperating with investigators, JSO said.

The institute says on its website that it is a fully accredited diving program with on-campus housing with courses for commercial diving training lasting four months.

Rudlaff said the course that the man was in is advanced, meaning he would have had some previous diver training.

Someone with the institute told News4JAX that it had no comment at this point.


About the Authors: