Florida diver missing after exploring WWII-era shipwreck

Nathaniel Rodriguez
·1 min read

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — The U.S. Coast Guard said it is searching for a man who went missing while free diving over the weekend.

According to the USCG, Virgil Price, 39 of West Palm Beach was last seen free diving nine miles off of Jensen Beach.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said Price was exploring the Halsey shipwreck 13 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet.

According to Fishing Status, the SS Halsey was a 435-foot-long ship that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942, although the crew managed to escape in two lifeboats. The wreck, now broken in three pieces, rests 65 feet deep on the sand bottom.

Price was last seen wearing “a green wetsuit with an orange stripe on the hood, yellow weights on his weight belt, and black carbon fiber fins,” deputies said.

If you know where Price is, call Sector Miami at 305-535-4472.

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