South Shore Hospital Chief Of Medicine Dies In FL Diving Accident

BOSTON — A Massachusetts doctor was killed in a diving accident while on vacation in Florida.

Dr. Robert McIntyre, 58, was scuba diving with his brothers near Palm Beach Inlet Thursday morning, but never resurfaced with the others. The U.S. Coast Guard reported him missing at 10:33 a.m.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said his body was found later Thursday afternoon. As of Friday afternoon, there is no word of what went wrong during the dive.

McIntyre was the Chief of Medicine at South Shore Hospital with over 25 years of experience under his belt.

South Shore Hospital released a statement Thursday saying:

"South Shore Hospital's Chief of Medicine Robert K. McIntyre, MD, passed away in an apparent diving accident off the coast of Florida. Along with being an extraordinarily talented and gifted physician who cared deeply about his patients and colleagues, Bob was known for his compassion, intelligence and sense of humor. He was a mentor to members of our hospitalist staff, friend, and educator to many health care professionals. He helped create a superb and highly respected hospitalist service. Our hearts are filled with sadness for Bob's family, colleagues, and friends."

According to the hospital, McIntyre joined the team in 2012 as a hospitalist and eventually became medical director for the Division of Hospital Medicine before becoming the chairman of the Department of Medicine.

McIntyre had also worked at Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, the Veterans Administration Center, Boston, and was a captain in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, serving in its medical corps, the hospital said.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of McIntyre's death.