View Full Version : Lobster Mini-Season Claims First Diver


Mike Petrusko
07-26-2007, 05:51 PM
Lobster Mini-Season Claims First Diver
(CBS4) CUDJOE KEY A Florida diver has died less than 12 hours into the Florida spiny lobster mini season.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said 58-year old James Gilkinson, from Venice, Florida, and his son were scuba diving in about ten feet of water off Cudjoe Key looking for lobsters when he signaled he was going to surface.

Gilkinson's wife, who was on their boat, said he appeared to be struggling when he came to the surface around 7 a.m. As she helped him into the boat she called for help. A nearby boat with firefighter paramedics and a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer arrived shortly and began administering CPR to Gilkinson.

He was rushed to the Lower Keys Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy will determine the cause of his death.


jm

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KEYSKILLER
07-26-2007, 06:15 PM
damn.
prayers for the family

jeepshapes
07-26-2007, 07:16 PM
sucks. sorry to hear it. stroke?

stevemc1
07-29-2007, 01:21 PM
Too bad. I grew up in Venice, and my mom worked with a lady who's last name was Gilkenson, I dont remember her kids, but she was older than my mom, so maybe that was one of hers. It seems like every year someone drowns or gets killed in mini season. About 5-6 years ago, we were up on Grassy Key and a kid took his dads high powered flats boat out at night of the first day of mini, and slammed into a concrete guy wire piling on Toms Cut at Duck Key at a high rate of speed, with no lights. Killed him and injured others. Boat was still there in the morning when we went by.