KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – A man diving for lobsters in the Florida Keys died, another man was reported missing, and two more were rescued from a capsized boat as rough waters create tough conditions for the first day of lobster mini-season.
Rescue crews responded to distress calls around South Florida on Wednesday as the rough seas made a difficult first day of the lobster hunt.
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A man diving off the Florida Keys lost his life Wednesday. Mark Fountain, 54, of Massachusetts, was diving for lobster off a private vessel with his 34-year-old son and his son's girlfriend near Tavernier when they became separated in the water, officials said.
The son told police officers when he returned to the boat he saw his father floating on the surface a short distance away, unresponsive.
The U.S. Coast Guard escorted them to Tavernier Creek Marina, where they were met by paramedics.
Fountain was pronounced dead a short time later. The cause of his death is unknown.
Another boater was reported missing off the coast of Pompano Beach in Broward County. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue said a group of men abandoned their dive spot and returned to shore to get help after their friend failed to surface from a dive around 11 a.m. just south of Pompano Pier.
Officials said the missing diver was later found safe and uninjured.
Two men also had to be rescued from an overturned boat off Miami at Bear Cut near Key Biscayne. The men apparently were diving for lobster. They were uninjured, and they were taken to Fisher Island.
The strong currents and waves challenged even the most seasoned lobster hunters.
"It was rough out there -- really rough," said diver Jeff Henkemeyer, who battled the ocean for eight hours before returning to the Crandon Park Marina.
"I would come up from the water and couldn't find my boat. I had to swim," said diver Ronald Urra.
Those who battled the choppy water were generously rewarded.
"My foot's 13 inches. This lobster is much longer than that," said diver Daniel Morrison, while using his shoe as a measuring stick.
During the two-day mini-season, divers with a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are allowed to take home 12 lobsters a day. While the permit requests were on par with last year, the FWC estimated that Wednesday's turnout was cut in half by the weather.
Representatives of the boat rental shop at Crandon Park Marina said not one vessel was rented Wednesday.
"I've never seen anything like it," said park employee Manny Vazquez.
The divers who took to the seas Wednesday said they will return Thursday, good weather or bad, because the fruits of their labor are worth it.
As the hunters search the water for lobsters, law enforcement officials searched for people violating the law. As of 11 a.m., Monroe County Sheriff's deputies had made 12 vessel stops and handed out 17 marine violations. In Miami-Dade County, Florida Fish and Wildlife officers handed out six citations for undersized lobsters or going over the daily limit.