Community Corner
Government Contractor Who Drown in Navy Marine-Mammal Program ID'ed
Coll Perske failed to surface as scheduled during an exercise off Naval Air Station Coronado on Monday night.
Authorities released the name today of a government contractor who drowned while taking part in a nighttime scuba dive in San Diego Bay as part of a Navy marine-mammal program.
Coll Perske, 29, failed to surface as scheduled during an exercise off Naval Air Station Coronado on Monday night, according to the county Medical Examiner's Office.
Colleagues pulled him to the surface and tried in vain to resuscitate him. Medics took him to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 10 p.m.
Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Perske, a San Diego resident, was employed by Science Applications International Corporation and was assigned to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific Marine Mammal Program, according to SAIC.
The program, started in the 1950s, trains bottlenose dolphins and sea lions to search for, detect and mark underwater divers or objects.
Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The cause of the accident was under investigation.
—City News Service
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
