Search called off for missing diver
By Craig M. Douglas / News Staff Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2003
The search for a Framingham woman who disappeared while scuba diving off the Florida Keys has been officially called off.
Tatyana Smirnov, 29, an employee at Fidelity Investments in Marlborough, was reported missing Sunday after she and a friend, 35-year-old Alexi Elinson of Allston, drifted from their tour boat, the "Tropic Vista." Elinson, who was later rescued by a search crew, said Smirnov vanished as the two struggled to swim back to the skiff.
The two divers were part of a 12-person trip to Crocker Reef, which is located off the southwestern tip of Key Largo.
After combing the area from helicopters and search boats, members of the Monroe County sheriff's office, U.S. Coast Guard and the Fish and Wildlife Commission stopped the search for Smirnov yesterday.
"We just weren't finding anything. You can only look for so long," said Becky Herrin, a Monroe County spokeswoman.
Herrin said there was no indication of foul play in Smirnov's disappearance. She said the sheriff's office investigates diving accidents "periodically" and "generally recovers the person or body very frequently."
"We'll certainly be keeping (Smirnov's case) open until perhaps we recover her or her body," Herrin said. "It's a tough case to talk about."
At Fidelity Investments in Marlborough, where Smirnov worked for the past four years, the situation has been unsettling. The company said support services are available for any of the site's 3,800 employees affected by Smirnov's disappearance.
Smirnov joined Fidelity's information technology department as a temporary employee in 1999 and was hired as a full-time systems programmer in December 2000.
"We're just hoping the outcome is all right," said Frank Crocetti, Fidelity's vice president and general manager at the Marlborough site.
Out of respect for Smirnov and her family, Crocetti declined additional comment.
Smirnov is a member of the Russian Diving Club, a group of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who share a love for diving, according to its Web site.
Ordered my Dive Alert today...
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