Local emergency crews suspended their search for a missing diver Wednesday night off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts, but the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to search through the night.
Rockport Police responded around 5:15 p.m. to a report of a 47-year-old male diver missing off the shore in the area of Cathedral Rock, off Cathedral Avenue. Police contacted the harbormaster. The Coast Guard sent two boats and a helicopter to the scene.
A dive team with Massachusetts State Police was also called.
The person who called police said the man was about 150 yards off shore with a friend. Police say both divers were visiting from Pennsylvania and staying at a campground nearby.
"I thought, 'That could be me,'" said Jane Marshall, who dives in the area.
"One of the difficulties in these situations is trying to determine how much air is in the tank, how experienced the divers are, how far offshore they are, when they were last seen," explained Mark Schmink of the Rockport Police Department.
Local authorities called off their search Wednesday night. It is set to resume Thursday morning. The Coast Guard said it would continue to search for the diver.
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