Jared Schreck, scuba diver, dies in La Jolla Cove

SAN DIEGO – A 44-year-old Nebraska man died while diving in La Jolla Cove on Sunday.

Jared Schreck was rescued by lifeguards in San Diego after his dive group showed up without him. He was found unresponsive 15 feet below the surface. Such a shallow depth is rare in this type of accident.

CPR was performed and Schreck was taken to a hospital, but he died of a heart attack, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office says.

“Even if the rescue is quick, it will take two or three minutes to get to you, and at that point the victim no longer had his regulator in his mouth, so he obviously wasn’t breathing, and that adds up quickly.” said Werner Krun, diving instructor and CEO of Ocean Enterprises.

Diving isn’t particularly strenuous, but experts say people carrying weights and tanks can carry around 30 extra pounds that can put a strain on the body.

“You have all your gear on and now you want to go into the sea, then lower yourself and then start kicking,” Krun added. “You have to fight the waves a little bit to get past the surf line. And then start your dive. But maybe you’re already out of breath at that point and you’re not in the best physical shape, or maybe you’re trying to catch your breath and then suddenly the heart attack comes, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”