The search for a missing diver in Florida took a bizarre turn Monday when rescuers found another body, whose identity remained a mystery.
A day earlier, water rescue crews made a perplexing discovery while searching off the coast of Fort Pierce for freediver Virgil Price, who went missing while searching for a World War II-era shipwreck.
The unidentified man was pulled from the water about 30 miles from where Price was last seen.
“This individual weighs approximately 200 to 225 pounds and appears to be over 50 years old. His clothing and physical characteristics do not match those of the diver who went missing on Sunday.” This was announced by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Police say almost everything about the man remains a mystery, he doesn’t match any missing person reports in the area, and the cause of his death is unclear.
However, the body “does not appear to have been in the water for a long period of time.”
The bizarre discovery came just hours after the U.S. Coast Guard called off the search for Price, 39.
The experienced freediver was exploring the Halsey wreck, about 13 miles southeast of the coast, when he was “unable to surface,” the sheriff’s office said.
This 435-foot ship was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942 and has become a popular diving site. The shipwreck is broken into three pieces and lies on the ocean floor at a depth of 65 feet. According to FishingStatus.
The USCG said it had decided to suspend the search “until new information is available” after traveling more than 1,415 miles over 36 hours to find the missing man, but details led to the suspension. has not been made clear.
“The decision to suspend the active search is not taken lightly. We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Price’s family,” said Lt. Col.John Beale said in a statement.
Price was identified as a “team member” of the Florida Freedivers sporting goods store in North Palm Beach.
He was last seen wearing a green wetsuit with an orange stripe on the hood, yellow weights on a weight belt, and black carbon fiber fins.
