Unknown Missing diver rescued - Navarre Beach, Florida

[DandyDon]

Diver missing south of Navarre Beach found safe

The diver has been found and is safe.

www.fox10tv.com

UPDATE: The diver has been found and is safe. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the man was picked up by another boater about 5 nautical miles east of the where he went missing.

NAVARRE BEACH, Fla. - The U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting a search operation for a missing diver approximately 7 miles due south of Navarre Beach.

According to Navarre Beach Fire Rescue, the diver is reported to be in his mid-50s and was last seen at around 9:30 a.m. with approximately 30 minutes of air remaining in his tank. The search is ongoing, and additional details are limited as the investigation continues.

U.S. Coast Guard has a 45’ Response Boat and an MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter searching and a USCG Cutter Ridley en route from Panama City Beach.


Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has assets on scene, as well as Escambia Search and Rescue.

Authorities urge boaters and others in the area to remain vigilant and avoid the search zone. Navarre Beach Fire Rescue says updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

 

[Johnoly]

Big dive tournament today & tomorrow up there.

 

[Johnoly]

MRXRAYFL has the story

 

[gamon]

You'd think they'd tell other boaters to stay vigilant and if possible, help search within the designated zone rather than chasing them away.

 

[Johnoly]

chasing them away.

Coast Guard boats on the water start with sector search patterns which look like many triangles inside of a big circle. To help them stay on this chart pattern, they ask that boaters not be "inline" with approaching CG assets. Kinda like you shouldn't block an ambulance's path when you see it coming. There were CG Pon Pon radio calls broadcast and heard from 75 miles away that other boats heard. I don't know any details except for some posts from other tournament participants.

Scuba Board has a huge volume of information in this section of things people would do differently in an incident. That's why the accidents & incidents section is so important, so others can learn or be reminded of again.

 

[gamon]

Coast Guard boats on the water start with sector search patterns which look like many triangles inside of a big circle. To help them stay on this chart pattern, they ask that boaters not be "inline" with approaching CG assets.

The ambulance driver knows where the hospital is and how to get there.

The Coast Guard doesn't always find the missing. The ocean is a big place. They're saying in effect, stay out of a gignormous area that is really too big for us to search it ourselves, so we can search it on our own.

 

[chaad]

Worth noting that the missing diver was Barry Shively, a Pensacola-area divemaster and tech instructor at Below 130 Diving. Nicest guy and an extremely accomplished diver. So glad this one turned out ok for Barry. The community mobilized in a big way to make sure he was found.

 

[telemonster]

The ambulance driver knows where the hospital is and how to get there.

The Coast Guard doesn't always find the missing. The ocean is a big place. They're saying in effect, stay out of a gignormous area that is really too big for us to search it ourselves, so we can search it on our own.

If there was a good low energy way to detect a diver bobbing at the surface it seems like having a drone swarm that could scan in a pattern systematically would be the way to rapidly get er done for the coast guard or whomever.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Bringing up that everyone should think about carrying a satellite distress tool when ocean diving, whether it's a Garmin, PLB, InReach, etc.

 

[chaad]

Barry (the formerly lost diver) did a very in-depth interview this afternoon about the incident. Interesting stuff.