JUPITER, Florida (23 Sep 2007) -- U.S. Coast Guard officials told CDNN the search for a Florida woman who disappeared while scuba diving on Saturday near Jupiter Inlet has been called off. Nicole Cuomo, 38, of Rockledge, went missing at about 2:15pm Saturday while scuba diving off a private boat about five miles southeast of Jupiter Inlet and about 15 miles from shore. After Cuomo failed to resurface from a deep dive, her friend searched for an hour and a half before calling for help. The Coast Guard responded to the missing diver emergency at about 4:15pm with an air and sea search involving several vessels, helicopters and at least one airplane. The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and several good samaritan vessels also joined the search. Late Sunday night, after searching for Cuomo for more than 30 hours, Coast Guard officials called off the rescue effort. Although the search has been suspended, Coast Guard officials told CDNN they would reactivate the search if new information becomes available. Meanwhile, relatives, friends and good samaritan divers have vowed not to give up searching for Cuomo, a well-known Florida spearfishing enthusiast. "With or without the Coast Guard, we will continue searching for Nikki," said a friend and diver who posted his comments at Scuba Forum. "Nikki is an experienced diver...it is certainly possible that she is still alive...so we would encourage everyone here to keep looking for her." | | Although the U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for missing diver Nicole Cuomo, relatives, friends and good samaritans have vowed not to give up trying to find her. Cuomo is school psychologist who works at Incredible Horizons Academy, a school for children with learning challenges. She also founded Behavior Works, which is a counseling service for families with children who have behavioral disorders. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
