Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Diver

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a diver who went missing over the weekend east of Key Biscayne.

"It is difficult to suspend search efforts for a missing person at sea," said Capt. Chris Scraba, Coast Guard Sector Miami commander. "We would like to extend our sympathies to the families and friends affected by his disappearance."

Jeffrey Vincent, 39, was on a 27-foot boat with his friends Sunday about three miles off Key Biscayne. When he jumped in the water without his fins to assist another diver, he missed the safety line off the back of the boat and was swept away by the current.

Another person tried to jump in to assist him but the current pulled him away too far. That's when they decided to pull up the anchor and turn the boat around. In that time, they lost sight of him and radioed for help.

The Coast Guard, along with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Aventura Police Department marine unit and the Miami-Dade Police Department underwater recovery unit, spent three days searching for Vincent. The search covered an extensive 2,600 square nautical mile area.

There were five people on the boat; three divers, the captain and a crew member. The coast guard investigation found they did everything by the book and were not negligent.