Jackson County (WQOW) - Two scuba divers have died and a third is in the hospital following an incident at a recreational area on Saturday.

Rescue crews were called to the Lake Wazee Recreational Area in Jackson County after 12:00 p.m.  Three scuba divers were out of the water and in need of medical treatment.

A 57-year-old man was later pronounced dead at the Black River Falls Hospital.  The two other divers were airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota.  One of those two patients, a 60-year-old man, died Saturday night.  The other patient, a 53-year-old man, is still being treated.  His condition has not been released.

No names have been released, but law enforcement says all three were from the Twin Cities area.

Investigators say autopsies are being done to help determine the cause of death.

Lake Wazee is known as a hot spot for scuba divers.  It has a depth of about 350 feet.

PRESS RELEASE

At approximately 12:14 P.M. July 10^th, 2010 the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Black River Falls Fire Department, and Black River Falls EMS responded to an incident at the Lake Wazee Recreational Area in Jackson County.

The reported incident involved three scuba divers that were utilizing the recreation area.   Upon arrival at the scene a 57 year old male subject was in full arrest with CPR being administered by fellow divers.  A second male diver, age 60, was also in need of medical treatment.  A third male diver, age 53, was also treated at the scene.  All three of the divers were no longer in the water at the time of EMS contact.  All three subjects were initially transported to Black River Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment.

The 57 year old subject was later pronounced dead at the Black River Falls Hospital.  The other two patients were airlifted from the Black River Falls Hospital to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota.  They were airlifted for Hyperbaric Treatment at that facility.

At approximately 7:42 P.M. July 10,  the Jackson County Sheriff's Department was notified that the 60 year old male patient had died at Hennepin County Medical Center.  The 53 year old male is still being treated at the Hennepin County Medical Center.  His condition is unknown at the time of this press release.

The official cause of death of the two individuals is pending autopsy results in the near future.   The names and addresses of the involved subjects is pending notification of family members.     All three involved individuals were from the Minneapolis / St. Paul area.  The investigation continues by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department and BRF Fire Department / EMS were assisted by Mayo 2 Helicopter Service out of Eau Claire WI and Med-Link Helicopter Service out of La Crosse WI.  The Jackson County Sheriff's Department Dive Team was also assisting at the original scene.  The Jackson County Coroner's Office is also involved in this investigation. 

Background:

The Lake Wazee recreation area is a popular scuba diving destination that is utilized by numerous divers in the Midwest area.   The lake has depths of approximately 350 feet with very clear water for diving enthusiasts.