After a two-day search in waters near Bahia Beach, Florida, failed to find a lost Naval officer from Lawrenceville, authorities suspended search and rescue attempts.
Kenneth Gates, 32, was last seen Tuesday, after he dove into deep water to pull up a stuck anchor on a fishing boat, The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday in a press release.
Gates and his friend, Kearston Jones, launched a 19-foot Proline fishing boat at the boat ramp on MacDill Air Force Base at about 9 a.m.Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said.
The couple later anchored the boat in about 20 to 30 feet of water, approximately two miles west of Bahia Beach. They fished until about 11:30 a.m. and then decided to move to a different spot.
Gates attempted to retrieve the anchor and discovered it was stuck, so he dove into the water to free the anchor.
He swam back up the surface to tell Jones the heavy current was causing him trouble. Then Gates resubmerged but never resurfaced.
Gates was a chief petty officer and a 10-year Navy veteran, according to a statement released Thursday by the United States Special Operations Command. He worked in the Force Management Division at SOCOM headquarters in Tampa, Fla.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office rescue divers, Marine units, and the U.S. Coast Guard searched the waters over the past 48 hours without results.
The boat was towed back to MacDill AFB and examined by investigators.
At this time, the incident appears accidental and no foul play is suspected.
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