Cozumel, Q.R. — The search for a missing diver continues off the island of Cozumel. The American man was with a group Saturday morning when he failed to return to the boat. State authorities have been searching for him since.
On Saturday morning, the group of divers left Cozumel around 10:00 a.m. and headed for the north end for a morning dive. At the end of the excursion, approximately two hours later, everyone boarded the vessel except one man. Missing is 74 year old American diver Gregory Romes.
The boat’s captain notified maritime authorities around 1:00 p.m. of his missing dive member. The Search and Rescue Station (ENSAR), along with Civil Protection and other municipal authorities, began their search that afternoon.
To date, the American diver who became lost in the sea off the northern coast of Cozumel has not been found. Search operations by both land and sea have resumed since the initial search Saturday.
Alfredo Arellano Villaseñor, the Director of Civil Protection, Firefighters and Lifeguards of Cozumel, said on Saturday they received a report that a group of four foreign passengers were diving with a guide north of Cozumel. During the dive, the captain and a sailor remained on the boat.
When the dive concluded around 12:30 p.m., only three of the foreign divers emerged, which is when authorities were notified of the missing fourth diver.
Arellano Villaseñor said searches have been conducted on land along the Isla de la Pasión route, while the Navy searched by sea. The Air Force, along with a private plane, conducted patrols by air. Local boaters have also joined in the search efforts.
Arellano Villaseñor said although operations to locate him by air and sea were reactivated, they have not found him.
