The following appeared on Ocala.com this morning: Online reports on various diving sites say renowned underwater photographer Wes Skiles died Wednesday while diving off the Palm Beach County coast.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a 52-year-old High Springs man was pronounced dead after he was found motionless at the bottom of a reef Wednesday afternoon. The agency could not immediately provide the name of the man, citing confirmation that the man’s family had been contacted.
The man had been diving with three others about three miles off the Boynton Beach Inlet, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera. The diver had been filming locally for National Geographic, she said.
The man apparently alerted the other divers that he was ascending because he was out of film, Barbera said. The others continued in the water but later decided to ascend.
“On their way to the surface, they found him at the bottom of the reef motionless,” Barbera said. The man was rushed to the surface, and CPR was administered. Barbera said the man was taken to an area hospital and was pronounced dead. The incident occurred at about 3 p.m.
UPDATE: This morning, the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) released a statement and more information about Skiles. This information can be found at WES SKILES
