Diver Missing Off La Jolla Shores

[Mike Boswell]

Lifeguards Call Off Search For Missing Diver

Jeffrey May, 45, Disappeared On Memorial Day

POSTED: 4:47 pm PDT May 31, 2012

SAN DIEGO -- Lifeguards on Thursday called off the search for an Oceanside man who disappeared on Memorial Day after visiting La Jolla Shores for a scuba-diving outing. As of Thursday, efforts to find Jeffrey May, 45, had turned up no sign of him, lifeguards said. No plans to resume have been made.

San Diego police on Thursday issued a missing persons bulletin for May, in hopes that someone may come forward with more clues in his disappearance.
May went to the northern San Diego beach early Monday, telling his wife he planned to meet up with a diving group he had contacted online, according to lifeguards. About an hour later, May called his spouse to say he'd arrived at the Shores but could not find the others with whom he had planned to dive. When May failed to return home or call his wife again for about 12 hours, she reported him missing.

May's car was found in a parking lot in the area, and a plastic tub holding his car keys, sunglasses and clothing was located in a grassy area along the beach. May had rented a scuba tank and some diving weights at a nearby dive shop, but authorities could find no one who saw him entering the water. Dozens of lifeguards spent several hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday searching the area in boats, aided by a Coast Guard helicopter. May's wife told authorities her husband had been a scuba-diving enthusiast for 25 years. A friend of his, however, said May had not gone on a dive since last summer and had never done one at La Jolla Shores.

http://www.10news.com/news/31136991/detail.html

 

[devildoc5]

According to San Diego Fire-Rescue Marine Safety Lt. Andy Lerum, a body was found Sunday morning in the water off La Jolla Shores at a depth of near 175'. It is considered to be the body of the Jeffrey May, missing earlier this week after a solo dive. A citizen made the discovery around 8am. It was in the same area searched by lifeguards earlier this week.
The citizen who found the missing diver, went out specifically to look for him. Several divers had been out in the water on their own time to help look for "one of their own".

Body of missing La Jolla diver found - San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Tragic News.

 

[Mike Boswell]

From San Diego UT:

Body Of Diver Found Off La Jolla Shores

[/h]

[h=2]Body Could Be That Of Missing Diver Jeffrey May[/h]
POSTED: 10:54 am PDT June 3, 2012
UPDATED: 12:16 pm PDT June 3, 2012


SAN DIEGO -- The body of a diver was found off La Jolla Shores on Sunday morning. An independent diver found the man's body 175 feet below the surface on the ocean floor at about 7:15 a.m. Lifeguards said the man's body was found with full diving gear and that his weight belt was missing. They said the diver appeared to have been deceased for several days.

The body was taken to the surface using an inflatable air bag and given to lifeguards, who turned the body over to the Medical Examiner's Office, which will confirm the identity.
The body could be that of 45-year-old Jeffrey May, who disappeared on Memorial Day after visiting La Jolla Shores for a scuba-diving outing. Lifeguards said they were not aware of any other missing divers and said the independent diver that found the body was conducting a search for May. Lifeguards called off their search for May last Thursday. San Diego police also issued a missing persons bulletin for May, in hopes that someone may come forward with more clues in his disappearance. May went to La Jolla Shores early last Monday, telling his wife he planned to meet up with a diving group he had contacted online, according to lifeguards. About an hour later, May called his spouse to say he'd arrived at the beach but could not find the others with whom he had planned to dive. When May failed to return home or call his wife again for about 12 hours, she reported him missing. May's car was found in a parking lot in the area, and a plastic tub holding his car keys, sunglasses and clothing was located in a grassy area along the beach. May had rented a scuba tank and some diving weights at a nearby dive shop, but authorities could find no one who saw him entering the water. Dozens of lifeguards spent several hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday searching the area in boats, aided by a Coast Guard helicopter. Private divers also conducted a search for May on Friday but were unsuccessful.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm amazed that he was found at depth without his weights. Good that he was found at least, and no one else hurt looking.

 

[Slater]

Sad but now the family gets some closure! Wonder where they found him sitting on the bottom @ 175 feet, I would imagine the entire beach area goes from 50-60 feet & then the canyon starts which is a sheer wall into the abyss...

 

[Mike Boswell]

I'm amazed that he was found at depth without his weights. Good that he was found at least, and no one else hurt looking.

Another story here in San DIego reported this:

Body found off La Jolla shoreline

LA JOLLA — An unidentified body was found off the La Jolla shoreline Sunday morning, south of where an Oceanside man vanished following an apparent Memorial Day scuba dive. It was unknown if the deceased is Jeffery May, 45. The body was discovered shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday by kayakers and swimmers near La Jolla Cove, according to San Diego police. Lifeguards were called to recover the body. Further details were not immediately available.

"Divebums" reported that a local tech diver discovered the body at 175 feet. He might have had to remain down to decompress for some time. He may have removed the weights before sending the body up with the air bag. The kayakers and swimmers may have first sighted the surfaced body. And the lifeguards may have meant that they first saw the body on the surface, with gear but without weights.

All speculation by me.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Sad but now the family gets some closure!

Agree. So sad & tragic, but closure with something like this is so important, and helps the healing. Sincerest condolences to the Family and Friends.

 

[DandyDon]

"Divebums" reported that a local tech diver discovered the body at 175 feet. He might have had to remain down to decompress for some time. He may have removed the weights before sending the body up with the air bag. The kayakers and swimmers may have first sighted the surfaced body. And the lifeguards may have meant that they first saw the body on the surface, with gear but without weights.

All speculation by me.

That makes a lot more sense than the previous news stories. You just never know how fact are in those. One story a couple of days ago did ask local divers to help look, but not try to being the body up - more of a general caution I guess.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

He might have had to remain down to decompress for some time. He may have removed the weights before sending the body up with the air bag. The kayakers and swimmers may have first sighted the surfaced body. And the lifeguards may have meant that they first saw the body on the surface, with gear but without weights. All speculation by me.

Speculation nicely qualified.

"Found at 175' without his werightbelt" simply doesn't make sense. If he had ditched his weights, he'd have eventually risen to the surface, assuming he's wearing some sort of wetsuit or even a drysuit. Your clearly-labelled speculation makes much more sense as a possible scenario.

- Ken