Dive Community Mourns the Death of Rob Stewart
After several days of searching, rescue divers recovered the body of missing underwater filmmaker and conservationist Rob Stewart on Friday, according to a Miami Herald report. Stewart, 37, went missing during a dive on the Queen of Nassau wreck off Islamorada, Florida. A large search was put on for Stewart after he went missing, including efforts from the Coast Guard and many divers and boat owners. He was found at a depth of about 280 feet around 300 feet from where he was last seen alive.
According to OutsideOnline.com, Stewart and Peter Sotis, who owns Add Helium, a dive shop in Ft. Lauderdale, dove the wreck three times that day: "They were the deepest dives of Stewart’s life. The two men surfaced for the final time just after 5 p.m. within sight of the dive boat’s crew members. Stewart gave the OK sign. Sotis, however, appeared shaky as he climbed aboard the boat. Moments later, he blacked out. The crew retrieved bottled oxygen to revive him. In the commotion, they turned their backs to the water, and when they again looked for Stewart in the water, he was gone. The crew radioed for help immediately. Within five minutes, a Navy helicopter was dispatched and Coast Guard cutter Sexton was diverted to the scene, along with a small boat crew and an HH-65 helicopter from Miami."
Stewart was working on footage for a sequel to his well-received film Sharkwater, according to a post on Instagram. Divers worldwide mourned the death of Stewart Friday evening. Here's a look at some of that response.
