Missing Deerfield Beach diver found - Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida

[DandyDon]

Missing diver‘s body found, identified as Deerfield Beach man – Valliant News

After a two-day search, the body of a man reported missing while diving off the coast of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea was found Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office identified the diver as Antonio Almeida, of Deerfield Beach.

Almeida’s body was found off the coast between Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Pompano Beach around 3:20 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

Almeida, who recently turned 60, was diving with two friends on Copenhagen reef when he , according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

He was among 34 Scuba divers and snorkelers who went out to the shallow reef aboard the commercial diver vessel according to Arilton Pavan, who runs Dixie Divers, the boat’s owner.

Pavan said Almeida was a local resident and an experienced diver who has made two or three previous trips with his company.

“This is painful for us, and for the crew, and others who were there,” said Pavan. “It affected everybody.”

The search was begun by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue after two other divers surfaced and reported the man missing, according to Coast Guard spokesman Jonathan Lally.

Pavan, who was not on the dive trip, said the trio of divers had been in the water about 30 minutes when two of the friends realized the third man was missing. They were diving in waters about 15 feet deep, Pavan said.

The search continued all afternoon Saturday and most of Sunday.

The Coast Guard cutter Gannet stood by on the scene overnight, Lally said.

Crews from Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale and Coast Guard Air Station in Miami, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office marine crew, helped with the search, Lally said.

Copenhagen reef is a popular dive spot because it is within a half-mile of shore and is in waters no deeper than 25 feet, Pavan said. Parts of the wreckage are still visible, and it’s known to attract fish, according to dive guides.

The reef is named for the , a 325-foot British cargo ship ship that sank in 1898.

The weather and seas Saturday were ideal, Pavan said. “Conditions, everything was perfect, like a dive in the pool,” he said.

The boat left the dock in Deerfield Beach at 8:30 a.m., and the first divers entered the water about 11 a.m., Pavan said.

Authorities held the Lady Go Diver at the scene until 5:30 p.m. “That was unusual, waiting so long to be released,” Pavan said.

Pavan said that although there was plenty of water and some snacks aboard, his clients had no lunch. “Everyone was tired,” he said.

Almeida’s body will be taken to the medical examiner’s office for an official autopsy. The death is not thought to be suspicious, the sheriff’s office said.

Tens of thousands of people go snorkeling and scuba diving every year in Florida, and fatalities are rare, Pavan said.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Might want to check the date of this 'news'.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

what about the date?
It was a diver lost a couple months ago and the body was just found. am I missing something?

 

[Dark Wolf]

what about the date?
It was a diver lost a couple months ago and the body was just found. am I missing something?

I missed it, as well. Went back and did a general web search. It appears he was found in June 2017.

The article I found also stated that he just turned 50. No idea which article is correct.

DW

 

[doctormike]

Huh. That's odd. The article is dated yesterday, but the diver clearly died in 2017 based on a google search.

Innocent website error or repurposing old content to meet a deadline?

 

[DandyDon]

Might want to check the date of this 'news'.

November 17, 2019 was yesterday. I guess I am repeating someone else's mistake. I left a rude comment on that page.

 

[Dark Wolf]

November 17, 2019 was yesterday. I guess I am repeating someone else's mistake. I left a rude comment on that page.

No worries, as far as I am concerned. I took it the same way you did, being recent.

DW

 

[Ghetto Diver]

What asshats to make a mistake like that.

Dandy, I didnt follow the link. I only read quoted portion, and know the story....and the timeline.

 

[chillyinCanada]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Closing thread.

Let's be careful out there

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