Los Angeles Firefighter Reported Missing After Freediving Incident

Four young men left shore on Wednesday for a diving excursion in California. However, after one of the divers failed to return, rescue teams deployed.

Helicopter hovering above the ocean / Unsplash

On Wednesday evening, a 28-year-old man went missing while off on a freediving trip with three of his friends in Long Beach. The missing diver, whose name remains undisclosed, is a firefighter at the Los Angeles Fire Department.

According to authorities, the four men were on a private boat and planned to go freediving, a type of diving that does not require traditional scuba diving equipment, such as scuba tanks. The level of experience of the missing individual has not been released at this time.

As PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) wrote on their website, "Though freediving appears to be relatively simple, there is a lot to know about safety and physiology. A non-trained freediver risks ear, sinus, and lung injuries, blackouts, and could potentially drown."

Involved in the search mission are members of the U.S. Coast Guard, divers from Long Beach, the Long Beach and Los Angeles Port Police Departments, LAFD, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

"As in-water operations continued tirelessly for more than 19 hours, the survivability profile of the diver and decreased visibility made it difficult to sustain prolonged search operations. Based on these factors and the extended time since the diver was last seen, the decision was made Thursday evening by Unified Command to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation," the Los Angeles Fire Department wrote on their website.

A press conference was held on Thursday with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Chief Kristin Crowley stated that the missing diver was with the department for six years. He was off duty when the incident occurred.

"The family and friends of the missing diver continue to receive support and assistance from both the Long Beach Fire Department and the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Peer support is also being made available to responders who have been impacted by the incident," LAFD stated.