Authorities have confirmed that the search for an off-duty Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter in Long Beach has transitioned from a rescue to a recovery .
The man, identified only as a 28-year-old, is now presumed to be dead.
On Wednesday night, he went for a recreational dive with two friends at the Port of Long Beach. The search began when only two of the three returned to the boat, at about 10:15 p.m.
After 19 hours of searching in murky conditions, authorities deemed that the diver’s “survivability profile” along with the decreased visibility made it “difficult to sustain prolonged search operations.”
The massive search included 24 divers and numerous boats.
“Thus, based on these factors and the extended time since the diver was last seen, the decision has been made by Unified Command to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation,” said Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jake Heflin.
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