After a day-long effort on Monday, searchers were unable to locate a Port Hueneme man who disappeared the day before while scuba diving near Santa Cruz Island.
Ryder Sturt, 34, was tank diving for lobster off a 20-foot recreational boat on Sunday afternoon when he failed to surface, said Raquel Zick, public information officer for the
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
"When the dive partner surfaced and Sturt did not, the dive partner radioed for help," Zick said.
The incident occurred near the Painted Cave Preserve, according to
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Gray.
The Coast Guard responded at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday with the cutter Narwal, along with a helicopter, and searched for Sturt throughout the night.
On Monday, the county's new Firehawk helicopter joined the search, Zick said, along with the Sheriff's Office's Underwater Search and Recovery Team.
The divers combed the water for about three hours, but were unable to locate Sturt before darkness fell, Zick said.
"The search for the missing diver will continue tomorrow," she added.
The Sherff's Office will take the lead in what has transitioned to a search-and-recovery operation, Zick said.
Additional agencies will be responding to assist, she said, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dive Team, the Los Angeles Port Police, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
The Coast Guard will provide a perimeter safety zone patrol for the divers.
