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Susan Cocking -
A Massachusetts man died while diving for lobster in the Upper Keys on the opening morning of the two-day mini-season Wednesday.
The start of the annual hunt for lobster was a bit quieter than in previous years because of bumpy weather. Two boats overturned off Miami and law enforcement officers throughout the region wrote the usual volume of tickets for poaching and safety violations.As for the harvest, for every group that caught its legal limit, another managed a mere handful. “So far, I would say lobster fever has come and gone,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said Wednesday afternoon. “We had one tragedy unfortunately. All in all, I would say people are coming back satisfied and content with their catch.”The fatality was Mark Fountain, 54, a tourist who became separated from his 34-year-old son and the son’s girlfriend while diving on Snapper Ledge off Tavernier. The victim’s son and his girlfriend got back on their boat and found Fountain floating unconscious. They pulled him aboard, called for help and got a U.S. Coast Guard escort to Tavernier Creek Marina where paramedics pronounced Fountain dead at 9:40 a.m. An autopsy is planned.A short time later, a boat reported it was sinking off Government Cut and another capsized on the ocean side of Bear Cut. Two divers were transported from Bear Cut to Fisher Island.A large contingent of law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies stayed busy inspecting boats for safety and resource violations and writing tickets. Offenses included jumping the gun on Wednesday’s 12:01 a.m. start; taking too many or undersized lobsters; failure to display a diver-down flag, and problems with safety gear such as insufficient life jackets and expired fire extinguishers.Overall, the number of divers—and tickets—was a bit lower than last year, according to Pino, probably because of windy, cloudy weather.Posted via http://batavia08.posterous.com batavia08's posterous
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