Dive team makes case for reinstatment

EL CENTRO — Members of the suspended Imperial Irrigation District dive team asked the board of directors to reinstate the team Tuesday afternoon, citing investigations that showed no one was at fault for the death of dive team member Jonathan Burnworth back in October.

Burnworth, 32, while working for the dive team in October died of a heart attack during a recovery effort, resulting in an investigation. The IID board took the advice to suspend the team while it was investigated.

Cal/OSHA has concluded its investigation of this incident, and no citations were issued.

One diver who was checking the scene underwater had a coronary event during rescue and died of natural causes, Frank Polizzi with the California Department of Industrial Relations wrote in an email.

Burnworth was employed with Imperial Irrigation District as part of the rescue diving team.

IID dive team member Lilian Alvarez, who has been with the team since 2014, said every diver continuously has to attend training to remain certified.

She said there are so many things that can happen while working in the field, and they need to work as a team.

“We have laughed (together). We have cried,” she said. “It takes a very courageous person to face danger. This team suits up and dives in the face of danger.”

Diver Jairo Aguirre said he wonders why the dive team remains suspended after more than nine months, especially after the investigation revealed there was no fault.

“It is important that we continue to keep our dive team here,” he said.

IID Diver Danny Amparano said since the canals are still in open areas there is a need for the team.

He said the IID dive team has career days at schools and tells people what they are tasked to do. The team also provides hands-on training to IID employees who work near bodies of water.

When something happens with the canals or waterways there is a sense of urgency to respond, he said.

“When we have something in our canals it needs to be removed instantly,” he said.

Diver Rod West shared some figures with the directors.

In 2017, there were 40 vehicles that had to be pulled out of a canal. That number increased to 49 last year, and he expects that number to increase to more than 60 by the end of 2019.

West also said 30 bodies are also recovered every year.

IID diver Randall Lackey said having a dive team ready to respond can make the difference of saving a life.

“Let us go to the waterways to save lives,” he said. “Do the right thing and reinstate the IID dive team”

On Oct, 26, Burnworth dove into a canal to help a car that crashed into the canal. Other divers found him unresponsive in the water and brought him to the surface.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated and Burnworth regained a pulse, according to the medical examiner’s report. He was transported to El Centro Regional Medical Center and then transferred to UCSD Medical Center. His condition continued to decline before he died the next day.

The San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office said the result of death was acute diffuse anoxic/ischemic encephalopathy due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease and obesity due to resuscitated cardiac arrest. In simpler terms, he died of a heart attack.

IID Director Bruce Kuhn, a former police officer, remembers tragedies like his partner and another officer being killed in May 1977.

“We didn’t shut the police department down, but we lived with it,” he said.

In another instance he remembers two members of the FBI being shot and killed, saying the FBI did not disband due to the shooting deaths.

“It’s the nature of the beast, people,” Kuhn said. “It’s crap. Things happen when you are a first responder. You don’t shut down your first responders.”

The IID board voted 3-2 a few years ago to bring back the IID team, and Kuhn cast the deciding vote.

Director James Hanks thanked the IID dive team members for all the work they do.

Hanks also voted with Kuhn to bring the dive team back after a young man died in a canal.

“I have to support the dive team,” Hanks said.

Directors Alex Cardenas, Norma Galindo and President Erik Ortega chose not to comment on the IID dive team.