I know it's naive of me, but I'm always a little extra-surprised when I read about professional divers who drown. I guess I assume that since they're "professional," they would be insulated against accident. However, I know that's silly. Moreover, as "professionals," they often spend more time in the water than the rest of us, making them all the more likely to suffer an accident.
Sadly, on Thursday afternoon, two Seattle-based Coast Guard divers died during an operation in the Arctic Ocean. Lt. Jessica Hill and Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Duque were diving beneath the Coast Guard Cutter Healy -- in the Arctic, about 500 miles north of Barrow, Alaska -- to inspect the ice-breaker's rudder. Although the Coast Guard declined to provide details of the incident ("the deaths are under investigation"), agency officials described the shallow dive as a cold water familiarization exercise.
