U.S. Diver dies in Bell Island Mine

[L Roebuck]

This article doesn't mention caves but Joe Steffen was an experienced cave diver and so cavers may know this diver. RIP....

U.S. diver dies while exploring flooded mine

An American adventurer died suddenly Sunday while diving in a flooded iron ore mine near St. John's.

Joe Steffen, 51, a resident of Ohio, was a member of an international dive team that had come to explore the flooded mine on Bell Island in Conception Bay.

Full Article


Ohio Caver in Newfoundland Diving Mishap

[Brian Roebuck]

Sounds like he had some sort of problem with either equipment or a sudden health issue. Either way diving in such conditions often does not allow you to survive such a problem. It is too bad this happened but cave diving is very risky business.

[Kelly Jessop]

Results of Autopsy:
www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundlan...r-autopsy.html

Air embolism killed Bell Island diver: autopsy
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 7, 2007 | 7:00 AM NT
CBC News
An American diver who died while exploring a flooded Newfoundland mine
suffered an air embolism, an autopsy has determined.

Joe Steffen, 51, was found Sunday afternoon near the ceiling of one of
the flooded tunnels in the abandoned iron ore mine in Bell Island,
about 35 kilometres west of St. John's.

Joe Steffen, 51, died because of an air embolism, an autopsy has found.
(CBC) Members of Steffen's dive team attempted to revive him but failed.

In diving, an air embolism can occur when a diver ascends too quickly,
and gas bubbles enter the bloodstream. An embolism can become fatal,
for instance, if a bubble rests in the heart.

Steffen was a member of an international team of divers who had been
invited to explore the No. 2 mine at Bell Island by Ocean Quest
Adventures, which is hoping to develop the site as an adventure
tourism attraction.

The team resumed its exploration on Monday.

Production at the No. 2 mine ended in 1949. The rest of the Bell
Island mine, which has been flooded since, closed in 1966.