The US Coast Guard has called off the search for former police officer Ryan Proulx (right) who was last seen free-diving in the Bahamas (Pictures: East Hartford Police/Facebook/Ryan Proulx)
Search efforts for an ex-cop who disappeared while free-diving to a shipwreck in the Bahamas has been called off.
The US Coast Guard on Sunday suspended the search for former police officer Ryan Proulx two days after he vanished while diving down to the Bimini Barge Wreck.
Proulx, an American citizen, was last seen on Friday wearing red fins and a green top near the wreck, which is 1.5 miles west of the Bimini Inlet, according to the Seventh Coast Guard District. Coast Guard crews assisted the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in looking for Proulx.
The effort was terminated after Coast Guard aircraft crews scoured more than 573 square miles over 6.5 hours.
Ryan Proulx was last seen free-diving on Friday and search efforts were suspended two days later (Picture: Ryan Proulx/Facebook)
On Monday, Coast Guard liaison officer Lt Cmdr Matt Spado stated: ‘We offer our deepest condolences to the Proulx family.
‘The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is one we never take lightly.’
Proulx’s sister, Nicole, replied on Twitter, ‘Thank you for your efforts in attempting to locate my brother.’
Though the official search effort ended, Proulx’s family are trying to get a volunteer crew together to keep looking for him.
Ryan Proulx was an avid fisherman and diver and operated his own charter company out of Rhode Island (Picture: David Hargus/Facebook)
‘You brought us all together and showed us how it was done, you loved the water more than anyone I’ve met and I’m proud to call it your final resting place,’ wrote David Hargus on Facebook. ‘Love you bro, you are already missed.’
Proulx was an experienced diver and fisherman and had his own charter company called Blue Runner that operated from Rhode Island. The son of a cop, Proulx served on the East Hartford Police Department in Connecticut from 2017 to 2021.
The search for Proulx was suspended a day before the OceanGate Expeditions tourist submarine carrying five passengers to the Titanic wreckage disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean. Renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding are among those missing.
Coast Guard crews and officials across multiple countries have joined in on the race to find the submarine.
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Former police officer Ryan Proulx was last seen free-diving to the Bimini Barge Wreck in the Bahamas on Friday.