The woman who died while scuba diving in West Vancouver last week has been identified as Michelle Leah Norman.
The 44-year-old Surrey woman was taking a deep-water specialty diving class off Whytecliff Park Oct. 9 when she went into medical distress.
Norman was about 40 metres below the surface in an area known as “the cut” on her second dive of the day just after noon, when another diver in the group noticed there was a problem, according to police. Fellow divers helped her to the surface and performed CPR but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
B.C. Coroners Service is still investigating the exact cause of death.
Emergency crews have been called to Whytecliff Park and nearby waters for diving accidents a number of times in recent years.
In January 2012 an experienced diver in his 60s was presumed drowned after he became separated from his diving partner and failed to surface. In November 2008, a 61-year-old diving instructor died at Whytecliff Park after being found unconscious by his students.
– Brent Richter
