A scuba diver was found in critical condition following a rescue operation at Lake Washington near Magnuson Park on Friday afternoon.
As per the Seattle Fire Department (SFD), a distress call regarding a potentially troubled scuba diver was received by dispatch just before 2 p.m. Upon arrival at the scene, rescue teams were informed that two scuba divers were engaged in exercises underwater. During the exercises, one diver failed to resurface. Consequently, Seattle fire crews swiftly deployed two fire boats, two watercraft, and had rescue swimmers and divers on standby for potential intervention.
While rescue teams were scouring the water in the vicinity of the divers’ exercises, a civilian boat contacted them, reporting that they had retrieved the distressed diver and brought them ashore. Immediate life-saving measures were administered onshore before the individual was transported to Virginia Mason Hospital in critical condition.
The SFD noted that the other diver reportedly emerged from the incident unscathed.
Seattle fire emphasized that such incidents tend to escalate as temperatures rise during this period of the year.
