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Accidents In Keys Leave 2 Snorkelers Dead

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The Associated Press

Published: September 3, 2007

Two snorkelers died in separate accidents during the busy Labor Day holiday weekend in the Florida Keys, officials said Sunday.

Omar J. Viera, 31, of Orlando, died Saturday after he was run over by a 25-foot vessel while snorkeling off a boat in the Atlantic Ocean near Bahia Honda State Park, said Officer Bobby Dube, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The operator of the boat told officials he didn't see Viera's dive flag until it was too late and tried to veer away before feeling a thump underneath, Dube said.

Viera suffered two severe propeller wounds to his head, Dube said. He was taken ashore to the state park, where he died.
Dube said Viera's dive flag was improperly displayed, because it was too small and not visible by 360 degrees. Charges are pending for the boat operator.

Also Saturday, another man from Orlando died while snorkeling for lobster on a vacation to celebrate his wedding anniversary.

Matthew Kleber, 37, was found on the ocean bottom less than two miles off Islamorada, Dube said. He was holding on to a rope tied to a 24-foot boat being driven by his wife when he disappeared, Dube said.

Tourists flocked to the island chain for the holiday weekend, posing a challenge for authorities who must keep order and respond to emergencies on land and at sea.

Aside from the two deaths, officers also were involved in a complicated rescue attempt when a 20-foot boat plunged 70 feet into a patch of mangroves near Tavernier Creek, Dube said.

Four injured people were taken to hospitals after about 20 officers teamed up to rescue the group among twisted mangrove roots and foliage.
Dube called Saturday the busiest day he's seen in 18 years.

'It was just one thing after another,' he said.

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