One man has died and another was injured during a diving incident this morning on Lake Norfork near the Quarry Marina.  The Sheriff’s Office was notified at approximately 10:51 AM that an unresponsive diver, who was not breathing, was being taken by boat to the shore for help.  Sheriff’s Deputies, Arkansas Game and Fish Officers, and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene.

     During the investigation, officers learned that a group of divers had been undergoing training with a diving instructor, 37 year old TODD REED of Jonesboro, Arkansas.  The group had gone down to approximately 100 feet when one of their number, identified as 46 year old BRIAN MALONE , also of Jonesboro, Arkansas, became confused and began swimming toward the bottom of the lake.  The instructor took off after MALONE.  The instructor, TODD REED, went down to 177 feet to retrieve MALONE and bring him to the surface. 

     Upon arrival at the shore, CPR was begun on MALONE, while REED was airlifted to a facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas to be placed in a decompression chamber.  MALONE was transported to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home but did not survive.  He was pronounced deceased by the Baxter County Coroner at 11:58 AM. 

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff