SEATTLE DIVER DROWNS OFF NOME DURING GOLD DREDGING EXPEDITION

Wednesday, August 13, 2014, a Washington resident died while diving off the dredge ARGO off the coast of Alaska near Nome. The diver was identified as Sean Beals, a resident of Seattle.
Around 10:30 p.m., the diver was observed floating facedown in the water. The dive tender who spotted the unconscious diver and another crewmember attempted to save the diver before he was transported to the Norton Sound Medical Center. There, he was declared deceased.
There are no signs of foul play, but the details surrounding the death are hazy. AST spokesperson Megan Peters says that the cause of death could be anything from drowning to a medical emergency, and that the Coast Guard is investigating into the matter, labeling the death a major marine incident.
The lawyers at Beard, Stacey, and Jacobsen have handled several recent cases involving the death of divers. Jim Jacobsen recently handled a case where a diver was killed due to an 8,000 pound steel piling pinned him to the ocean floor, recovering a settlement for the diver’s family. Additionally, Jim Beard is currently working on the case of David Scheinost, who was killed when the breathing apparatus he was using malfunctioned, leading to his death by drowning.