S. Fla. man dies while diving for golf balls

CBS4.com ^ | September 23, 2009 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

DEERFIELD BEACH— Authorities say a man has died while diving for golf balls in a South Florida country club’s lake.

The body of 75-year-old Jerry Gunderson was recovered Saturday morning at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office says Gunderson was last seen by his wife Friday evening. An employee at the country club noticed an abandoned car parked near the lake and called police.

A dive unit arrived and recovered Gunderson from the center of the lake. Oxygen tanks, a dive mask and other grass clippings were found in his car.

The cause of death is being investigated.

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[wardaddy]

i’m guessing cardiac

but gators would have been first guess before knowing the age

every abandoned phosphate pit i ever swam or skied in down there had gators...without exception

has that changed?

hell, we had em behind my Coral Gables home in the canal...2 miles from downtown...coyotes too

[Daffynition]

The pro-divers who do this can make big bux.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[sig226]

It’s extremely unlikely that it was ‘gators. What you knew is now totally blocked in. I buy stuff at the CompUSA around the corner from that country club. It’s on Hillsboro, just past Military. You have to stop short to get into the entrance to the mall on that corner. The area is now multi-story apartments and condos.

He probably had a heart attack.

[Bellflower]

Is it legal or do the balls belong to the course?

[WVKayaker]

[BGHater]

‘It’s extremely unlikely that it was ‘gators.’

Are you sure you’re a Floridian? Lol. Yeah, I doubt it was a gator, but, I always assume that any body of water has a gator in it.

[Krankor]

You had coyotes in your canal?

[trumandogz]

That’s why they call it a “Water Hazard.”

[wardaddy]

nah...in the back yard by the canal...a little green area around 10 feet wide

one jumped over the fence and just stared at me one morning I was drinking coffee smoking a Lucky

20 years ago now..

[Daffynition]

Some courses contract out to divers. Some divers pay for the right to retrieve, selling the balls back to the club or on their own to shops, wholesalers, etc.

If you are on the property without permission and there are pro-divers involved, I'll bet you take your chances, like what happens to lobstermen setting their pots in someone else's territory.

[Daffynition]

Cool diving dog?

[Daffynition]

LOL

Interesting hobby if you like leeches, snapping turtles, water moccasins, and - of course - the pesky alligators.

[piasa]

A plump alligator snack w/ duckweed dipping sauce.

[Daffynition]

Here's a guy in Cali who is in big trouble:

Man litters national park with 3,000 golf balls

He allegedly told rangers he threw the golf balls to leave his mark and honor deceased golfers.

[Daffynition]

Or a heart attack for the unsuspecting golfer.

[piasa]

That could do wonders for a person's game- like going on a hike and having some guy in a gillie suit pop up out of the weeds.

[JoeProBono]

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