ORCAS ISLAND, Washington — A diver is missing and presumed dead after a scuba diving accident off Orcas Island. Authorities told CDNN that Michael Scherner, 40, disappeared on August 12 while scuba diving with a friend. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the pair started the dive together between Clark and Barnes islands, but Scherner, an experienced former Navy diver, continued diving alone after the buddy diver ascended. After Scherner failed to resurface, the buddy diver called for help and authorities launched a missing diver search. The Coast Guard cutter Terrapin, based in Bellingham, a helicopter crew from Port Angeles, several smaller Coast Guard boats and the San Juan County Sheriff's Office dive team assisted in the search but found no trace of Scherner. Search officials said the water temperature was 14 degrees Celcius (57 degrees Fahrenheit) and the area Scherner was diving in is about 12 meters deep and has a sandy bottom. "It's a bunny hill for diving, so I don't know what the heck happened," said Jon Zerby of the San Juan County Sheriff's Office. | 
