Second Victim Of Breath-Holding Exercise Gone Wrong Dies

(atomische's flickr)

The death toll from last week's tragic swimming pool accident on Staten Island has reached two. Yesterday morning Jonathan Proce, 21, died of complications from a grueling underwater endurance regimen that claimed the life of his friend Bodnar Vitenko, also 21, earlier in the week.

Vitekno and Proce had been practicing holding their breath underwater in the Lyons pool on Wednesday morning when something went wrong and neither surfaced. They had been training in the three-and-a-half foot pool since the start of the summer in the hopes of one day joining the Air Force's pararescue unit. By the time the lifeguards at the crowded pool noticed the two hadn't come up for air the pair may have been under for as long as twenty minutes. Both went into cardiac arrest after being pulled from the water and Vitekno was declared dead soon after.

Proce, who was a lifeguard himself, was with his family when he died. His family has "peace," a reverend for the man's family told the Advance. "He’s with the Lord at this time, but that doesn’t mean they’re not sad, or in mourning for their son."

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By Garth Johnston in News on July 18, 2011 9:17 AM

Comments [rss]

I M neargrystn.train

It is called a shallow water blackout, i remember when undergoing scuba training in the 1980's a couple people dying of exactly the above. since it happened during the course it was discussed a lot among the training divers and instructors. It can happen in 4 feet of water. i believe the taking of quick deep breaths, prevents the purging of the co2 from the lungs, causing a co2 build up. Safety divers are used by all the professionals, The NYPD scuba unit lost a couple good men while undergoing dry suit and full face mask open water training off the battery around the same time period Having an experienced safety team is necessary. If the pool is too crowded for the lifeguards to have unobstructed views or when they have water sprayers,like they had in Lake Sebago, Harriman state Park that blocked the lifeguards view, unnecessary deaths will happen.
It is really too bad that having a specific trained lifeguard,watching only them , when they did this type of training wasn't rule #1.
horrible, and horrible for the family and friends.

banksy

RIP.

cr17

20 minutes?!? I'm assuming the lifeguards were fired, but these days who the hell knows.

Barbara Starkweather

The NY Post says the lifeguards are "no longer on duty".

Early reports said the two men might have been hyperventilating, then holding their breath and staying underwater. (If so, they were asking for trouble...that's a good way to lose consciousness underwater and drown) The lifeguard's view may have been obscured because it was lap swimming time at the pool, hence lots of splashing and turbulence.

I can't understand why these guys were allowed to play what amounts to an adult version of a 'fainting game' in the water, every day for weeks, in what I'm sure was a pool crowded with people swimming laps. Recipe for disaster.

ktinnyc

Lifeguards do no look out for people sitting peacefully at the bottom of the pool. They keep an eye out for those in distress.

valerick

Said by someone who has never taken a lifeguard certification test, obviously. A conscientious and properly trained lifeguard spends more time scanning the bottom of the pool then watching above the water level.