IID officially disbands dive team

EL CENTRO – Imperial Irrigation District’s dive team has been out of commission so long it might be surprising to learn that it still technically existed.

That ended Tuesday, when the IID Board of Directors voted unanimously to disband the long-dormant water rescue group, which was suspended following the death of one of its members in October 2018.

The vote was taken during closed session and reported during the public portion of meeting.

The board also directed staff to inventory the dive team’s equipment and appropriately dispose of it following “established district policies.” Options included within that framework include public sale, exchange to public agencies for in-kind services and others.

“After the unfortunate incident in which a member of the IID dive team perished, the activities of the dive team have been suspended, the incident investigated and activities of the team evaluated,” said Frank Oswalt, IID general counsel. “Today, the board’s action officially disbands the dive team.”

The IID dive team had been suspended since death of diver Jonathan Burnworth, 32. He was found unconscious in the Ash Canal near East Jasper and Anderholt roads about 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2018, northeast of Calexico. He had been under water working on the retrieval of the vehicle when he lost consciousness.

Rescuers managed to restore his breathing, and he was taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center before being airlifted to University of California San Diego Hospital where he died the following day after being taken off life support.

An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a heart attack. A subsequent Cal/OSHA investigation found no Title 8 violations, and a report prepared by Scripps Institution of Oceanography showed no evidence of damaged scuba gear.

IID directors voted

3-2 against reinstating the dive team in August 2019, but the team’s final status has remained unresolved until Tuesday.

IID said although it will no longer be directly involved in rescue operations, it will continue to provide personnel who will respond to emergency events involving district infrastructure and work with first responders as appropriate.