Va. trooper dies in training

A Virginia state police trooper died Tuesday after making a training dive in Lake Anna, the state police said.

Trooper Mark D. Barrett, 41, was part of a team making deep-water dives in the lake, which is about 70 miles southwest of Washington, the state police said.

Barrett. (Va. State Police)

As Barrett and a second trooper were ascending after a dive, the other trooper noticed that Barrett was having difficulty, according to the state police. The second trooper helped him reach the surface, and signaled for help.

CPR was administered, and Barrett was taken to a hospital, where he died, state police said. An autopsy is to be conducted.

Barrett joined the state police in 2007 and was assigned to patrol in Richmond and in Henrico County. He was also a member of the state police search and recovery team.
The team was undergoing annual in-service training this week, the state police said.

The state police said in a statement that Barrett is survived by a wife and two children.

“The entire Virginia State Police family is suffering from this tragic loss of such a hardworking and dedicated state trooper,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, the superintendent of the state police.

-- Martin Weil