Search for missing Florida diver takes shocking turn as different body found, cops say
The mysterious disappearance of a man diving off Florida’s Atlantic coast got stranger still when searchers found a different body, officials say.
Virgil Price, 39, vanished Sunday, May 12, but searchers found someone else late Monday, May 13, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Exactly who they found is a mystery, since no one had been reported missing, the sheriff’s office said.
“Our marine unit assisted the U.S. Coast Guard with recovering a deceased white male from the water about 16 miles (northeast) of the Fort Pierce Inlet,” the sheriff’s office said.
“This individual weighs approximately 200 to 225 (pounds) and appears to be over 50 years of age. His clothing and physical characteristics do not match those of the missing diver from Sunday. At this time, we do not have any missing person reports in St. Lucie County matching this description.”
The Coast Guard is investigating, and a medical exam is expected to determine the cause and time of the man’s death.
“The body does not appear to have been in the water for an extended period of time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard officials announced the search for Price was suspended late Monday, after crews covered 1,415 miles in 36 hours.
“The decision to suspend an active search is never taken lightly. We extend our sincerest condolences to Mr. Price’s family,” Lt. Commander John Beal said in a news release.
Price was last seen around 10 a.m. on Sunday, about 13 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet, investigators say.
He was free diving with three other people on the shipwreck of the S.S. Halsey, which was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942. The wreck sits in about 65 feet of water, and is broke into three sections, according to Fishingstatus.com.
Dad dies after being pulled from Gulf of Mexico with his son, Florida officials say
Boater dies just feet from land when he dives in to find cell phone, Florida cops say
