Surf City man dies scuba diving off Laguna

Mike Swanson

A Huntington Beach man died Sunday while scuba diving with six

friends off Laguna’s Crescent Bay Beach.

“The surf was only 1 to 2 feet Sunday,” said Mark Klosterman,

Laguna Beach chief of Marine Safety. “It was what we consider a

relatively safe day to dive, and all beaches throughout the city were

open for diving.”

Phuc Vinh Le, 35, and his diving partner, 59-year-old Jeffrey Chu

of Garden Grove, became separated from the rest of the group while

diving, Laguna Beach Police Det. Paul Litchenberg said.

When Chu reached the shore after about 45 minutes, he saw Le lying

face-down and motionless in the water about 150 yards from the shore

and waved until the rest of the group spotted him. They pulled Le

from the water with help from lifeguard Ed Wilson, who administered

CPR, but couldn’t revive Le.

Le had been scuba diving for nine months, Chu said. That would

make him a novice among the diving community, Klosterman said. Le had

a valid diver’s permit in his car.

Le had given him a thumbs-up when they came to the surface after

diving at a about a 40-foot depth, Chu said. When Chu reached the

shore after a 150-yard swim, he saw Le in about the same spot he had

been when Chu started swimming in.

Most scuba-diving problems occur on the surface of the water,

which is where Le apparently encountered trouble, Klosterman said.

Le was pronounced dead on arrival at South Coast Medical Center at

10:49 a.m. The cause of death is pending investigation, a

toxicological study and analysis of Le’s scuba gear, said Joseph

Luckey, watch commander for the Orange County coroner’s office.