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On Sunday, June 18, The United States Coast Guard and Royal Bahamas Defense Force called off the search for Ryan Proulx, a 31-year-old boat captain who went missing while free diving in the Bahamas. Proulx reportedly disappeared while free diving at a barge wreck near the Bimini inlet on Friday, June 16.
In the past, Ryan Proulx served East Hartford Police Department as an officer, having joined the department in 2017. The Police department has not commented on the disappearance so far. Proulx's family has also chosen not to release an official public statement concerning the case.
The timeline of Ryan Proulx's disappearance
As reported by WTSP, Ryan Proulx was an experienced diver and fishing charter captain. In an undisclosed period of time after he left the East Hartford Police in 2021, he started his own fishing charter business in Rhode Island.
On Thursday, June 15, Proulx left Florida's Palm Beach County marina en route to the Bahamas. According to Proulx's friend, Steve Diffenbacher, the former police officer would frequently take trips down to the area to transport boats for his clients.
On Friday, Ryan Proulx was last seen free diving at the site of the Bimini Barge wreck. The Coast Guard informed the public that at the time of the disappearance, he had been wearing snorkels, a green shirt, athletic shorts, and red dive fins.
ABC noted that the barge wreck, a popular attraction for divers, is located approximately 75 feet under the surface. The diving school organization Scuba Schools International, recommends that only advanced divers swim near the site, as it is known for its strong currents.
After he was reported missing, the US Coast Guard and Royal Bahamas Defense Force collaborated in the search efforts. Officer Eric Rodriguez, a Coast Guard public affairs specialist, said that the US Coast Guard sent two helicopters and one HC-144 turboprop plane to cover the area where Proulx went missing.
Over a period of six and a half hours, aircraft crews searched a 673 foot radius for any signs of the American diver. After the efforts proved fruitless, the US Coast Guard officially announced the end of the search.
Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Matt Spado discussed the situation with the public:
“We offer our deepest condolences to the Proulx family. The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is one we never take lightly,” he said.
While the Proulx family did not release a public statement, the victim's sister frequently discussed the search effort on her personal Twitter profile. She went on to thank the various agencies for their involvement in attempting to find Ryan Proulx.
