JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A student at commercial diving school CDA Technical Institute drowned Thursday in the Trout River while doing low visibility underwater welding training, authorities said.
The diver radioed to instructors that his helmet was filling up with water, according to an incident report. Instructors told him to vent the water through his mask -- but the diver stopped communicating.
Someone then jumped into the water to rescue the man, but efforts to give him CPR were unsuccessful.
Related: Student diver drowns in Trout River during underwater welding training
The student diver was training to be an underwater welder at C-D-A Technical Institute.
Sgt. Steve Rudlaff with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the man was between 40 and 45 years old.
No foul play is suspected, Rudlaff said. The body will be taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
“There were other students belonging to the institute taking the low visibility class, however, it is very low visibility, so there are instructors and there are also rescue divers,” Rudlaff said.
The school, located on Trout River Drive, is cooperating with investigators, JSO said.
The institute says on its website that it is a fully accredited diving program with on-campus housing with courses for commercial diving training lasting four months.
Rudlaff said the course that the man was in is advanced, meaning he would have had some previous diver training.
Someone with the institute told News4JAX that it had no comment at this point. Click here to read more.