A possible dispute over collecting reef fish caused an aggressive diver to attack a scuba diver in Hawaii while they were 50 feet underwater, CBS affiliate KGMB reported.
Environmentalist Rene Umberger had her breathing regulator ripped off by one of two scuba divers as she was documenting coral reef damage off the Kona Coast last Thursday. The two scuba divers were not part of the group she was working with.
The shocking underwater assault was filmed by 53-year-old Umberger, who now wants the other diver to be identified and charged, NBC News reported.
"This man needs to be arrested immediately for attempted murder," Umberger told the station.
Even after she was able to break free and get the regulator to breathe again, the perpetrator motioned more threatening gestures, she said.
"I honestly thought he was coming back for a second attack," Umberger said. "I got up on the boat and I said, 'Oh my God, someone just tried to kill me underwater.'"
The victim told the station that she knows who the suspect is and wants to press charges. The State Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement said they are investigating and will turn over their information to the County Prosecutors office, according to KGMB.
Umberger, who has completed 10,000 dives, credited her experience to being able to handle the tricky situation.
"An inexperienced diver would likely panic. Either panic from the stress of the situation and shoot for the surface. They may panic because their air source is missing and they can't find it. Any of those things causes a diver to shoot for the surface and those incidents often lead to death," Umberger told the station. "Never in a million years did I think that someone would attack like that, especially from such a distance. It's not like we were close up or in their face."
"The greater issue is that Hawaii's reefs are being emptied by these commercial operations," Umberger said. "Hawaii's reefs are suffering incredibly from this unlimited collection."
According to KGMB, collecting reef fish is legal with a permit as long as one is in a designated area and meets the fish size, season and quantity rules. So far, there is no evidence that the suspect was diving illegally.
