A major multi-agency search ended in tragedy when a fisherman spotted the body of a missing scuba diver floating just off Treasure Island Beach in Florida.
Investigation Underway
The Treasure Island Police Department is leading an active investigation into the woman’s death. The discovery came after a weekend-long search effort that began late Friday evening, July 3, when the woman’s husband contacted police to report that she had gone diving alone and had never returned.
Local police, Treasure Island Fire Rescue, and several assisting marine and land agencies launched an extensive grid search covering both the coastline and the surrounding Gulf waters. Crews combed the area throughout Saturday but found no sign of the missing diver.
The situation changed at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, when a fisherman on the shore noticed something in the water about 200 feet out. Emergency crews responded immediately to the scene and recovered the body, which was still clad in scuba diving equipment.
Officials are currently withholding the identity of the woman until her next of kin can be formally notified. The investigation into what went wrong during the solo dive is still open, and the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office is scheduled to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
