A Virginia State Police trooper who died Tuesday after a deep-water training exercise in Lake Anna was one of the newest members of the department's Search and Recovery Team but was considered a skilled diver with no known health problems, authorities said. Since joining the 20-officer specialty team about a year ago, trooper Mark D. Barrett, 41, of Midlothian had participated in several dive and rescue operations, in addition to completing regular training exercises three days a month and a full week once every quarter, said Sgt. Mitchell Smith, his supervisor.
After Barrett expressed interest in the assignment, "we brought him over to the training academy, took him to the pool and gave him some experience prior to even testing for the team," Smith said yesterday during a media briefing. "We realized he had the skills, knowledge and ability to do a great job."
On Tuesday, Barrett was among 16 Search and Recovery Team members participating in routine diving exercises in 75 feet of water in the southeastern portion of Lake Anna on the Louisa County side. "They were tasked with just a very simple [maneuver]," Smith said.
They followed a line to the bottom of the lake, made one pass on a search line below and resurfaced following another line to the top. "The whole training evolution would have taken less than 10 minutes," Smith said.
Barrett was resurfacing with his "dive buddy" -- a fellow trooper -- when Barrett became unresponsive, said state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. Barrett's dive buddy immediately helped him rise to the surface and signaled for help from other divers. They lifted Barrett onto the team boat and began administering CPR as the boat returned to shore. The Louisa County Volunteer Rescue Squad continued aid as they transported Barrett to Henrico Doctors' Hospital, where he died.
Barrett is the department's first dive team member to die in the line of duty since the unit was established in 1962, Geller said. An autopsy is being conducted to determine his cause of death.
Barrett's diving equipment appeared to be functioning properly after being examined by investigators. "We have no reason to believe there was any malfunction on the part of the equipment," Geller said. The equipment is being sent to an independent lab for further testing, she added.
Smith said Barrett had dived at that same location and at a similar depth on other occasions.
The trooper was physically active and appeared to be in good health, Smith added. He participated in an off-duty, indoor soccer team and had started training to run a marathon, Smith said. "I noticed a marked improvement in his physical abilities," Smith said. "He started to seriously consider his diet and his general good health."
Barrett was assigned to patrol in the Richmond/Henrico County area. His survivors include a wife, a 16-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.
"He was a good trooper, a very devoted father," Smith said. "Mark was the type of guy if you had a special assignment you needed to get done, he would do the assignment. He would do exactly what you asked him, and he would do the job well."
Local Dive Casualties
Local Dive Casualties
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