The cause of death of the diver who drowned in Skaneateles Lake is still unknown. After a 24-hour search the State Police Dive team recovered the body of Ulises Garcia, 50, Tuesday. As our Iris St. Meran tells, us the diving community is close and she shares reaction from the president of the National Aquatic Service.
SKANEATELES, N.Y. -- Skaneateles Lake is picturesque, particularly now with the fall foliage.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see," said Skaneateles resident Francis Moran.
Its beauty and clear water makes it an ideal spot for scuba divers.
"It almost has a bluish, Caribbean tint to it because it was a glacier lake and so it's very clean, very clear; lots to see underwater, lots of marine life, lots of geological structure; lots of history in Skaneateles Lake," said Michael Druce, National Aquatic Service president.
National Aquatic Service has many events at and in the lake. The company also certifies people as scuba divers. Ulises Garcia, the diver whose body was pulled from the lake Tuesday, was one of them.
"He had really started diving quite a bit,” Druce recalled, “He'd been out diving in Skaneateles Lake quite a bit in the last two years."
State police say Garcia had a lifetime scuba certification. Authorities are still sorting out the circumstances of his death, but Druce says it's pretty uncommon for someone with the experience and certification to drown.
An autopsy is underway to determine Garcia's cause of death.