# Young aquarium fish-trade exec presumed drowned in Florida



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

A young aquarium fish-trade industry executive is presumed dead after he disappeared while collecting fish to sell to aquariums.Heath Jens Laetari, 28, acquisition manager and vice president of dive operations for Dynasty Marine Associates, was diving on a reef off the Florida Keys when he went missing on September 14.
Laetari was free diving when the accident happened and may have been a victim of "shallow water blackout", a condition that occurs when divers purposely hyperventilate in order to stay down longer.
Another diver said he saw Laetari ascending but that he never reached the surface.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search for the missing diver, but found nothing and called off the search after three days.
Born in Wichita Kansas, Laetari was a PADI divemaster and marine biologist who drifted into the lucrative but controversial life fish aquarium trade in 2001.
As a vice president and partner in Dynasty Marine Associates, Laetari was involved in capturing sharks, rays, and other marine wildlife to be sold to aquariums, pet stores and restaurants.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s061006.html


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