A scuba diver has died after being reported missing during a dive in Cape Cod Bay off Dennis, Massachusetts, prompting a coordinated search involving local emergency services and the United States Coast Guard.
Emergency services were alerted at approximately 5 p.m. on August 12 after a diver was reported missing around two nautical miles north northwest of Sesuit Harbor, according to information released by the Dennis Fire Department.
Dennis Fire Department personnel responded to Sesuit Harbor and launched Marine Unit 2 to begin searching the area.
Marine units from the Barnstable and Sandwich fire departments joined the operation, while the United States Coast Guard provided aerial support. The Barnstable County Technical Dive Rescue Team was also activated to assist with search and recovery efforts.
Dennis Fire and Police established a unified command at Sesuit Harbor, with the Dennis and Harwich harbormasters also participating in the response.
Diver Recovered During Search
Following the coordinated search, rescuers located the missing diver at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Dennis Fire personnel recovered the man and transported him back to Sesuit Harbor aboard Marine Unit 2. He was pronounced dead after being brought back to shore.
Initial information released by the Dennis Fire Department described the diver as a 72 year old man.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office subsequently reported that the deceased was a man aged 71 from Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. His identity had not been publicly released at the time of publication.
Dennis Fire Chief Chris Guerreiro thanked the agencies involved in the operation and expressed condolences to the diver’s family and loved ones.
Investigation Underway
The circumstances that led to the diver becoming missing underwater have not yet been established publicly.
The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office is investigating the death with assistance from Dennis Police.
According to information released by the District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has accepted jurisdiction over the case.
Authorities have not announced a cause of death or provided details about the dive profile, the diver’s equipment, whether he was diving with a buddy, or what occurred before he was reported missing.
Diventures will update this article if further information is released by investigating authorities.
