Diver dies after rescue in Mission Bay channel

A scuba diver died at a hospital Wednesday night shortly after being rescued in the Mission Bay channel.

Lifeguards received a call for help about 7 p.m. from a boat captain, who said the diver was seen struggling shortly after jumping into the water, said Capt. Joe Amador of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The man and a partner were lobster diving, a lifeguard said. His friend tried unsuccessfully to keep his partner afloat as lifeguards were called, Amador said.

Lifeguards found the man below the water’s surface. They removed his weight belt and pulled him onto a lifeguard boat. He was unresponsive and did not have a pulse, Amador said. He had been under water about four to six minutes.

Lifeguards and paramedics performed CPR, but the man died at UC San Diego Medical Center at 8:05 p.m.

The lobster season in Southern California opened on Saturday.