A Twin Cities man receiving scuba-diving instruction died in what western Wisconsin authorities said Monday appears to be an accident.

The incident occurred about noon Sunday in Wazee Lake near Black River Falls in Jackson County, said Sheriff Duane M. Waldera.

The victim was identified Monday by the county coroner's office as Jeffrey Carstensen, 50, of Maple Grove.

Emergency personnel were called to the boat launch area of Wazee Lake for a medical emergency involving Carstensen, who was with a dive instructor and going through the certification process.

Resuscitation efforts were made at the scene before Carstensen was hospitalized, Waldera said. Carstensen was pronounced dead at the hospital, the sheriff added.

Waldera declined to say who was instructing Carstensen.

The coroner's office said the autopsy on Carstensen was not yet complete.

Waldera said that the lake, a former iron mine pit, is popular for diving because "it's a fairly deep lake and you can do a fairly different number of dives."

Wazee is the deepest inland lake in Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 355 feet.

Paul Walsh