Delaware diver dies in waters off NJ

— A Delaware man diving off the coast of New Jersey died shortly after he was found unconscious in the water this weekend.

Crew members aboard the fishing boat Tuna Seizure found Gene Wite around 2:15 p.m. Saturday in rough seas about 30 miles east of Barnegat in Ocean County. The 42-year-old Middletown man was about 125 feet below the water, and one crew member notified the Coast Guard while others got Wite on board and tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

A rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City took Wite to their headquarters, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 3 p.m.

It was not known why Wite lost consciousness or why he was diving in the area. An autopsy was to be performed.


