Dead diver ex-US navy

THE diver who died off the West Cork coast on Wednesday was ex-US Navy, it emerged last night.

Jay Christopher Jalinas, who was in his late 40s, was pronounced dead in Cork University Hospital (CUH) after his body was recovered from Goleen Bay late on Wednesday night.

He was an experienced diver who retired with his wife to picturesque Goleen about four years ago.

Mr Jalinas’s body was recovered floating face up. He had been diving alone that afternoon. An oxygen bottle and life-jacket were still on the body.

His face mask and flippers were in the boat and his weight belt had been discarded.

A lifeboat spokesman said it appeared as if Mr Jalinas had completed his dive before suffering some form of seizure or attack.

A post mortem was carried out yesterday.

Locals said Mr Jalinas was a quiet man who was just beginning to settle in to the community.

Mr Jalinas’s body was recovered by the lifeboat, about two miles from his boat, at around 10.30pm minutes before the search was due to be called off for the night.