No jail time for doctor involved in hyperbaric chamber death

George Daviglus charged in '09 deaths of woman and her grandson

Dr. George Daviglus was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of a 4-year-old Italian boy and his grandmother after a hyperbaric chamber caught fire.

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE SEA, Fla. – The doctor charged with manslaughter in the deaths of a woman and her grandson in a hyperbaric chamber fire will not serve any jail time.

Dr. George Daviglus, 84, was sentenced Friday to two years of house arrest after agreeing to a plea deal in the deaths of Vincenza Pesce and her 4-year-old grandson Francesco Martinisi who were killed following a March 2009 fire which started in a chamber where Martinisi was being treated for cerebral palsy.

Recommended Videos



In the plea deal, Daviglus plead guilty to charges of aggravated manslaughter.

Lance Bark, a safety technician at the Ocean Hyberbaric Neurologic Center operated by Daviglus, was sentenced in November to two years of house arrest and 10 years of probation after coming to terms on a plea agreement.

Investigators reported the cause of the fire to be static electric shock, but added that the chambers were dusty and not properly maintained.