The 62-year-old woman who drowned at the Grotto in Marpi last Sunday afternoon was about to scuba dive when she and an instructor slipped on a rock and fell into the water, according to the Department of Public Safety yesterday. <\/p>\n
DPS spokesperson Jacqueline Rae Shepard said that, according to witnesses, eight divers, including the victim, went to the Grotto to scuba dive. <\/p>\n
Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services acting spokesperson Linus Mizutani earlier identified the victim as 61-year-old Xhaoxia Yang, a Chinese national. Initial information given to DFEMS also indicated that Yang had no intent to dive as she had no diving gear.<\/p>\n
But Shepard said yesterday that witnesses stated that the victim and seven others had their scuba gear on as their instructor helped them cross to the big rock.<\/p>\n
When it was the victim\u2019s turn to cross, she and the instructor slipped, causing them to fall into the water toward the right side of the rock.<\/p>\n
A bystander was able to pull the instructor to safety. When the bystander reached for the victim, a wave came and swept her toward the rocks.<\/p>\n
A witness saw the victim\u2019s head was still above water, but a second wave pulled her under.<\/p>\n
The dive instructor attempted to rescue her, but later decided to call 911 after the waters became too rough.<\/p>\n
Shepard said DPS dispatch received a call about the incident at 2:09pm and that it was at 2:44pm when DFEMS medics recovered the victim, who was wedged underneath a rock.<\/p>\n
Shepard said that when police officers arrived at Grotto, DFEMS medics were already at the scene treating a man, who was lying on the grass in the northbound shoulder.<\/p>\n
The report did not indicate whether this man was the instructor. <\/p>\n
At the time, Shepard said, the victim had not yet been recovered.<\/p>\n
When the victim\u2019s body was recovered, medics transported her to the Commonwealth Health Center\u2019s emergency room, where a doctor pronounced her dead at 3:22pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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