THE COUCH AND DIDN’T HEAR ANY GUNSHOTS. RANDALL WAS RELEASED ON $41,000 BOND AND IS DUE
BACK IN COURT NEXT MONTH.
>> FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A
MONTH, THE FAMILY IS SUING A
TROUBLED JACKSONVILLE BASE.
COMMERCIAL DIVING SCHOOL. IT’S
AN UPDATE TO A NEWS. 4 JAX. I
TEAM INVESTIGATION WE’VE BEEN
FOLLOWING SINCE APRIL. THE
ATTORNEYS FOR FAUST OMAR
TEENS, FAMILY IS SUING THE CDA
TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.
>> FOR LONG, FULL DEATH IN
APRIL, OTHER DIVERS PULLED
MARTIN’S FROM THE MURKY WATERS
OF THE TROUT RIVER AFTER HIS
HELMET FILLED WITH WATER NEWS.
4 JAX. I TEAM INVESTIGATOR VIC
MICOLUCCI TELLS US LAST MONTH
THE FAMILY OF ANOTHER DIVERS
SUED OVER HIS DEATH.
>> WE’VE LEARNED 3 STUDENTS
HAVE DIED ON DIVES LINKED TO
SEE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. THIS
IS THE SECOND LAWSUIT THAT A
FAMILY HAS FILED AGAINST THE
DIVE SCHOOL AND ITS OWNERS.
THEY CLAIM THAT THESE DEATHS
WERE PREVENTABLE. BUT THE
SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES FAILED.
>> IT’S BEEN 2 AND A HALF
MONTHS SINCE 41 YEAR-OLD FAUST
OMAR TEENS WENT UNDER WATER
WHILE TRAINING AT CDA
TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. HE CAME
UPON RESPONSIVE AND DIED IN
THE HOSPITAL. NOW HIS FAMILY
IS SUING THE
JACKSONVILLE-BASED COMMERCIAL
DIVING SCHOOL FOR WRONGFUL
DEATH. THIS COMPLAINT FILED IN
CIRCUIT COURT ACCUSES THE
FOR-PROFIT ACADEMY OF
NEGLIGENCE CLAIMING THE DIVE
EQUIPMENT WAS NEITHER PROPERLY
INSPECTED, NOR MAINTAINED THE
HELMET AND GEAR WAS NOT
PROPERLY REPAIRED. STUDENTS
WERE NOT TAUGHT TO PROPERLY
USE THE EQUIPMENT AND AN
QUALIFIED STUDENTS WERE BEING
USED AS RESCUE DIVERS. IT WAS
THIS DROWNING THAT SPARKED A
NEWS FOR JAX. I TEAM
>> WE DISCOVERED THAT ABOUT A
MONTH AND A HALF EARLIER,
ANOTHER STUDENT DROWNED WHILE
TRAINING AT AN OFF-SITE LAKE.
OTHER DIVERS PULLED 34
YEAR-OLD VICTOR PEIRCE OUT OF
THE WATER UNCONSCIOUS BEFORE
HE PASSED AWAY. HE FOUND
REALLY LOVE THE MOST
PASSIONATE ABOUT. 21 YEAR-OLD
ISAIAH JOHNSON WAS A RECENT
GRADUATE WHO ALSO DROWNED. HE
WAS DIVING AT A POST-GRAD, GET
TOGETHER WITH CDA INSTRUCTORS
AND STUDENTS IN SEPTEMBER, HIS
FAMILY ANNOUNCED A MONTH AGO.
THEY’RE ALSO SUING THE SCHOOL.
>> POLICE REPORTS SHOW TO
OTHER STUDENTS HAVE DIED ON
CAMPUS SINCE 2019.
>> ONE FROM SUICIDE. ANOTHER
FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE IN ALL
YOUR YEARS IN COMMERCIAL
DIVING. AND THEN WITH YOUR
ORGANIZATION, HAVE YOU EVER
SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS?
>> MY ENTIRE TIME IN THIS
INDUSTRY AND CERTAINLY NOT IN
THE POSITION THAT I HOPE NOW
GOING UP ON MY 17TH YEAR. I’VE
NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS
WERE I HOPE THIS INDUSTRY
NEVER SEES ANYTHING.
>> LIKE THIS AGAIN. PHIL
NEWSOM IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE ASSOCIATION OF DIVING
CONTRACTORS. INTERNATIONAL,
WHICH CERTIFIES COMMERCIAL
DIVERS UPON GRADUATION, HIS
ORGANIZATION PLANNED TO
INVESTIGATE CDA, BUT THE
SCHOOL’S OWNER DIDN’T ALLOW
THEM TO DO THAT. SEVERING THE
RELATIONSHIP. NEWSOM SAYS
THERE ARE SERIOUS SAFETY
CONCERNS, BUT HE CAN’T
PINPOINT A PROBLEM WITHOUT
BEING ABLE TO INSPECT THE
EQUIPMENT AND THE TRAINING.
YOU CAN’T.
>> THEY’RE LIMITING AND
ERADICATE ANY TYPE OF HAZARDS
ASSOCIATED. WE’RE DIVING
PERIOD BECAUSE IS SOMEWHAT OF
A HAZARDOUS.
>> YOU KNOW, HER BUT IT’S ONE
THAT YOU CAN MITIGATE IT OUT
MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE
HAZARDS, DONE PROPERLY. AND
YOU FOLLOW ALL OF THE
REQUIREMENTS AND, YOU KNOW,
YOU PERFORM ALL OF THE RISK
ASSESSMENTS AND EVERYTHING
ELSE. AND SO. VERY, VERY
UNUSUAL. AND I HOPE WE NEVER
SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS
>> AND RECENT GRADUATES FROM
THE SCHOOL NOW CANNOT GET A
CERTIFICATIONS. SO THEY’LL
LIKELY HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER
SCHOOL IN ORDER TO DIVE
COMMERCIALLY IN NORTH AMERICA.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WITHIN THE
INDUSTRY TELL US CD IS OWNERS
ARE TRYING TO SELL THE SCHOOL.
THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED AS OF
YET. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO
LEADERSHIP AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR
THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY. BUT
THEY HAVEN’T HAD ANY COMMENTS.