ANACORTES, Washington (21 May 2008) — Authorities have identified the young female college student who disappeared while scuba diving near Deception Pass as Shari Booth. Booth, a 19-year-old freshman at Walla Walla University, was participating with 11 other college students in a NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver course at Rosario Beach when she went missing on Monday afternoon. The course was organized by the university, which has a marine research center at the same site where the accident happened. A spokesperson for the Skagit County Sheriff's Office said Booth was diving with a "buddy" and other divers in the class at a depth of nearly 40 meters (130 feet). After the group ascended they could not find Booth at the surface. The Coast Guard, Navy and local sheriff and police diver units all searched for Booth, but no trace of her was found and the search was called off late Tuesday. Asked why the accident happened, Skagit County Sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt said that strong currents and limited visibility common in the area were probably factors. "Any time you dive in open water, there are some currents, and currents do some odd things. There is inherent risk," he said. "There may never be an answer." | 
