Rescuers are searching the waters off of Manhattan Beach for a diver who went missing yesterday morning.
The diver, 45 year-old Jeff Tolly, was scuba diving from a boat anchored about three miles north of the Manhattan Pier, according to Sondra-Kay Kneen, petty officer first class with the U.S. Coast Guard Base Los Angeles Long Beach. A friend who remained on the boat while Tolly went beneath called the Coast Guard to report Tolly missing about 11 a.m. Sunday.
It was not immediately clear how long Tolly had been in the water when his friend contacted the coast guard, Kneen said.
The coast guard and Los Angeles County Lifeguards deployed rescue units throughout the day on Sunday in their search for Tolly, Kneen said. The Coast Guard were using a 45-foot response boat, two 87-foot patrol boats, and a MH 65 Dolphin helicopter. The two organizations were focusing their search on the vicinity of the Manhattan Beach Pier.
The National Weather Service had issued a high-surf advisory through Sunday evening, with a West-Northwest swell generating large waves at local beaches. A beach hazard statement remains in effect through Wednesday.
Tolly was wearing a black suit, black fins and a black tank when he went missing, Kneen said. It was not known whether or not he was an experienced diver.
“The Coast Guard encourages all drivers to have the right safety equipment, including proper VHF and FM radios,” Kneen said. “In this particular case, we’re not sure what he did and didn’t have.”
