A body found in an underwater cave earlier this month might be a scuba diver who disappeared almost two years ago, authorities in Southern California said Monday.
The body was recovered near Painted Cave Preserve on Santa Cruz Island, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. After two recreational divers reported seeing a possible body close to the ocean floor Nov. 5, Sheriff’s Office officials, alongside rescue divers from other agencies, recovered the remains on Friday.
While the “location of the recovery corresponds to a missing diver investigation from 2020,” the Sheriff’s Office said, the deceased diver has not been officially identified yet.
A corner’s investigation will determine the identity. The Sheriff’s Office said the body has been transported to its Corner’s Bureau, which expects to complete the identity confirmation, using rapid DNA testing, by next week.
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The diver who went missing near Painted Cave Preserve in 2020 was previously identified as Ryder Sturt, a 34-year-old from Port Hueneme, California. Sturt had reportedly been diving for lobster with a dive partner on Nov. 29, 2020, authorities said.
His partner surfaced but Sturt did not, authorities said at the time, and the dive partner radioed for help – prompting a search of the area.
For this month’s recovery operation, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Marine Enforcement Unit and the National Park Service for assistance, according to Monday’s news release.
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The Sheriff’s Office said it will share the identity of the deceased diver after the Corner’s Bureau confirms and the next-of-kin are notified.
Contributing: The Associated Press. Gretchen Wenner, Ventura County Star.
Story Credit: usatoday.com