Search crews on Wednesday continued looking for the body of a man believed to have drowned during a deep cave-diving mishap Tuesday evening at Cane Bay.
According to police officials, James Fraser, 29, of St. Croix, and an unidentified second man ventured down to at least 250 feet off of "The Wall" at Cane Bay to explore caves. By the time the pair began ascending, their air levels had diminished significantly and Fraser had his hand on the shoulder of his dive buddy. At some point during the ascent the two lost contact and Fraser hasn’t been seen since.
Officers from the V.I. Police Department’s marine unit and the U.S. Coast Guard participated in the search Wednesday, while certified search and rescue divers combed the area Tuesday night starting at about 8 o'clock when Fraser’s dive partner reported the incident.
The deepest that recreational divers can go without mixing gases to breathe is 130 feet, search officials said. As of Wednesday it was unclear whether Fraser and his partner had been using the specially mixed air. Even under ideal conditions, divers who venture to such depths often experience disorientation.
Although police officials said Fraser had been living on St. Croix, they didn’t know where he was from on the mainland or if his family had been notified. The search for Fraser is expected to last at least another day.