NC DIVE LODD INITIAL INVESTIGATION RESULTS
July 30, 2016
Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell said the death of a diver during a rescue operation on Lake Norman last month was a tragic accident.
Campbell said Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue Capt. Bradley Long, 28, drowned during an attempt to recover the body of swimmer Isia Cruz, 29, of Charlotte.
On Friday, Campbell, Criminal Investigations Division Supervisors Maj. Andy Poteat and Errin Jenkins detailed the findings of the sheriff’s office’s seven-week investigation into Long’s death, which occurred near the Hager Creek Access area in Mooresville.
Campbell said a company recommended by the N.C. Chief Medical Examiner’s Office examined the equipment worn by Long, two other divers who went to the hospital after the incident on June 6 and a fourth set of gear that was on the boat being used by Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue.
The experts concluded there were no problems with any of the dive equipment but that Long’s primary air tank was empty. A secondary tank he was wearing, however, did have air, Campbell said.
Poteat said the incident unfolded on the afternoon of June 6 while Long and others from Sherrills Ford-Terrell were taking part in an operation to find the body of Cruz, who disappeared June 5.
Long and a second diver were working at a depth of 82 feet in an area pinpointed by sonar as a possible location of the body, Poteat said. A monitor aboard the boat indicated to the two divers that they needed to surface and Long and the second diver began an ascent, stopping at around 20 to 30 feet below the surface for a “rest stop” to avoid decompression sickness, commonly called the bends.
At that point, Poteat said, Long gave an indication that he was out of air. The second diver tried to help, and at some point, the masks of both divers came off, which caused the second diver to ascend too quickly, he said.
When he reached the surface, a rescue diver on the surface then descended to try to rescue Long, Campbell said.
Long descended to the bottom, back to a depth of about 82 feet, Poteat said.
When the third diver reached the bottom, he was in the process of maneuvering Long to get him to the surface when he experienced issues with his mask, Campbell said.
Jenkins explained the third diver’s mask began taking on water and he was unable to clear it. The pressure on his mask increased the further he dove, Jenkins said. That prompted the third diver to ascend quickly. Both he and the other diver were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Poteat said there was some indication that Long and the other diver attempted to use a regulator to access a secondary, smaller tank, called a pony tank. “It all happened so quickly,” he said, that they were unable to get a grip on the regulators.
Campbell said the investigation also revealed there is no electrical current that may have been involved in the deaths of either Long or Cruz. “There is absolutely no truth to that,” he said.
Poteat said the investigation included interviewing everyone involved as well as looking at the computer data from the dive equipment.
Campbell said the determination of procedure, training and other issues will be addressed by an investigation currently underway by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Poteat said findings from the sheriff’s office investigation were shared with OSHA representatives.
Poteat said the sheriff’s office largely focused on whether there was any criminal activity or malice that contributed to Long’s death.
“There was no foul play. It was a tragic accident of someone trying to recover a family member for some other family,” Campbell said.
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Bradley S. Long
Captain Bradley Long and one other diver were searching for a
missing 29-year-old man in Lake Norman when they encountered an
emergency. A third diver entered the water after a Mayday was called.
While the two other divers eventually surfaced, Captain Long never
resurfaced and was later recovered and pronounced dead at the scene.
Rescue crews had been searching Lake Norman for the missing man a day
prior to the emergency involving Captain Long. Officials said the
missing man jumped off a boat with two other people.
The boat was not anchored and started to float away. The three tried to swim and catch up with the boat, but the missing man was not able to make it back to the boat. While the search for the man was suspended once Captain Long went missing, officials confirmed the body of the missing man was eventually recovered as well. The two other divers were responsive when taken to the hospital for treatment, one of which has been released.
The boat was not anchored and started to float away. The three tried to swim and catch up with the boat, but the missing man was not able to make it back to the boat. While the search for the man was suspended once Captain Long went missing, officials confirmed the body of the missing man was eventually recovered as well. The two other divers were responsive when taken to the hospital for treatment, one of which has been released.
Department Information
Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue4011 Slanting Bridge Road
Sherrills Ford, North Carolina 28673
Chief: Rick E. Davis
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
| Age: | 28 |
|---|---|
| Rank: | Captain |
| Classification: | Volunteer |
| Incident Date: | Jun 6, 2016 16:00 |
| Date of Death: | Jun 6, 2016 |
| Cause of Death: | Unknown |
| Nature of Death: | Drowning |
| Activity Type: | Search and Rescue |
| Emergency Duty: | Yes |
| Duty Type: | On-Scene Non-Fire |
| Fixed Property Use: | Outdoor Property |