The woman was taken to shore after a distress call about 4 miles off Jupiter Inlet.
JUPITER, FL — A woman died after a scuba diving emergency off Jupiter Inlet on June 6, after crews received a distress report from waters about 4 miles offshore and she was taken to a local hospital, authorities said.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, which officials said does not appear to involve foul play. The case remains open while detectives await an autopsy, leaving the cause and full chain of events unresolved. The incident drew a response from the U.S. Coast Guard, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, deputies and people already on the water near one of South Florida’s busiest diving areas.
The emergency began Saturday morning when U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami received a report over VHF-FM channel 16 of a diver in distress about 4 miles off Jupiter Inlet. Watchstanders sent out an urgent marine information broadcast, and a Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet boat crew launched to help. A good Samaritan heard the broadcast and brought the diver to Square Grouper Pier, where emergency crews were waiting. The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to Square Grouper Marina on June 6, and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue units were sent to the scene at about 10:15 a.m. “A good Samaritan responded to the broadcast,” the Coast Guard said in its account of the rescue response.
Investigators said the woman had an unknown issue while diving that caused her to panic. Local reports said she went underwater and did not resurface, then was pulled back onto the boat unconscious. She was rushed to shore and taken to Jupiter Medical Center, where the sheriff’s office said she was pronounced dead at 11:07 a.m. Officials have not released the diver’s name, age or hometown. They also have not said what dive operator, if any, was involved, what equipment she was using or whether a medical condition, equipment problem, water conditions or another factor may have played a role. The sheriff’s office said detectives do not suspect foul play, but the investigation remains open pending the autopsy.
The waters off Jupiter Inlet are known for boat-based diving, strong currents and marine life, including shark dives that draw local and visiting divers. The inlet connects the Loxahatchee River area to the Atlantic Ocean and is a regular route for fishing boats, dive boats and other vessels. Dive emergencies in open water often bring several agencies into one response because rescue crews may need to coordinate offshore reports, boat traffic, shore access and emergency medical care. In this case, the initial distress call came from the water, a Coast Guard crew launched from Lake Worth Inlet, and the diver was brought to a shore point where county fire rescue crews and deputies could take over.
Daniel Lomas, an experienced diver and shark safety guide who was on the water that day, told Local 10 he saw the emergency response from a distance. “Whether you’re free diving or if you’re scuba, they all come with their pros and cons,” Lomas said. “They all come with different levels of risk for different things.” He said depth changes can affect a dive, including how gases behave and how the body responds under pressure. Lomas also said divers normally check regulators and other gear before entering the water. His comments described the setting and common dive concerns, but officials have not said whether any of those factors caused or contributed to the Jupiter incident.
The death came during a stretch of recent Florida water fatalities reported by diving media, including several separate snorkeling deaths in the Florida Keys and a suspected vessel strike off Hollywood Beach. Authorities have not linked those incidents to the Jupiter case. In the Jupiter death, investigators have described one central known event: the diver suffered an unknown problem, panicked, went under and was later brought back unconscious. The diver’s medical history, experience level and dive plan have not been released. Officials also have not announced whether dive gear will be examined as part of the review or whether witnesses from the boat have given formal statements.
The next step is the autopsy, which is expected to help determine the cause and manner of death. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has not announced any charges, and detectives said foul play is not suspected. The Coast Guard response shows the case began as an offshore distress call, but the death investigation remains with local authorities. Any later findings could clarify whether the emergency stemmed from a medical issue, panic underwater, equipment trouble, environmental conditions or a combination of factors. Until those findings are complete, officials have not assigned a final cause to the incident.
As of Sunday, June 14, the diver had not been publicly identified in available reports, and the sheriff’s office had not announced a final ruling. The case remains open pending autopsy results, with no date released for when those findings will be completed.
Author note: Last updated June 14, 2026.