Father, husband and adventurer Timothy Obi was spearfishing on Saturday at Mayport Beach near Jacksonville, Florida.
When he fails to reappear on the boat from which he came, a search is made for him. The U.S. Coast Guard, as well as various volunteers, spent the next three days searching fruitlessly for Obi, covering more than 3,800 square miles, according to a USCG news release.
On Tuesday, around 1 p.m., some of Obi’s diving equipment was 250 yards from where he was last seen. The device is in a state where search has been officially suspended.
“This afternoon I have made the decision based on new information to suspend the search for Mr. Timothy Obi,” said Captain Timothy Obi. Mark Willen with Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. “The Coast Guard and our partners extend our deepest condolences to Obi’s family, who have been in our thoughts and prayers during this uniquely difficult time.
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“Earlier today, the Coast Guard received a report from a volunteer diver saying they had damaged diving gear. The Obi family confirmed that the equipment belonged to Mr. Timothy Obi. The location and condition are consistent with a suspected encounter with a marine predator.”
According to WJXT-TV, the volunteer who spotted the damaged equipment was a friend of Obi’s marine biologist. Based on the condition and location of the equipment, he believes Obi suffered a medical emergency.
In a post on the Jacksonville Scubanauts page, Michael D. Moore notes what biologist Holden Harris, who saw the equipment, wrote about the findings.
“Our dive boat received Timmy’s dive gear today,” Post said. “It was about 700 feet SE of his first dive site. We found his BCD, tank, gun, stringer, a glove and mask. They were all together in an 8-foot radius.
“The BCD cummerbund and all the straps were still clipped. His gun landed on the powerhead with an incomplete shot. His stringer was empty. There was a small puncture under his BCD. His surface marker was a buoy. was in the BCD pocket. We also found his ripped wetsuit about 200 feet away. We couldn’t see his dive computer or the gold necklace we knew he had.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, but we can say with great confidence that he did not emerge from the dive and that the emergency dive was early. There were no signs of a struggle. Furthermore, the evidence we found It turns out that the Coast Guard report stated that a ‘suspected collision with a marine predator’ was not the cause of death. One possible scenario is that he had a medical emergency just below the boat and then fell overboard. They were either unconscious or dead. Then, the marine cleaners dumped the body.”
The USCG later clarified its earlier statement.