DATELINE: 23rd October 2001

FREEDIVING DEATH
Loren Mass, the 19-year-old son of freediving legend Terry Mass, has died in a leisure freediving accident in Kailua-Kona.
It is reported that Loren was diving with another young friend when he failed to return to the surface from a dive to some 18m.
Diving on a reef, the two had been playing it by the book - one diving while the other watched from the surface, in case the other suffered a shallow-water black-out.
With his friend watching, Loren dived to the seabed but then failed to start his ascent. It is not clear what caused this.
The friend, who could see Loren stationary on the bottom, became stressed and was unable to freedive deep enough to reach him.
Following a call for help, rescue divers recovered Loren unconscious but alive. He was transferred to hospital but died in intensive care.
Loren had been working in Kona as a YMCA childcare counsellor.

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