STURT, Ryder

STURT, Ryder (c. 1986-2020), 34, of Port Hueneme, drowned while diving for lobsters near Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island on Monday, November 30, 2020. He was with a friend aboard a 20-foot recreational boat.

In the News~

November 30, 2020 [Noozhawk]: “After a day-long effort on Monday, searchers were unable to locate a Port Hueneme man who disappeared the day before while scuba diving near Santa Cruz Island. Ryder Sturt, 34, was tank diving for lobster off a 20-foot recreational boat on Sunday afternoon when he failed to surface, said Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. "When the dive partner surfaced and Sturt did not, the dive partner radioed for help," Zick said. The incident occurred near the Painted Cave Preserve, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Gray. The Coast Guard responded at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday with the cutter Narwal, along with a helicopter, and searched for Sturt throughout the night. On Monday, the county's new Firehawk helicopter joined the search, Zick said, along with the Sheriff's Office's Underwater Search and Recovery Team. The divers combed the water for about three hours, but were unable to locate Sturt before darkness fell, Zick said. "The search for the missing diver will continue tomorrow," she added. The Sherff's Office will take the lead in what has transitioned to a search-and-recovery operation, Zick said. Additional agencies will be responding to assist, she said, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dive Team, the Los Angeles Port Police, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.The Coast Guard will provide a perimeter safety zone patrol for the divers.”

November 30, 2020 [edhat.com]: “The Sheriff’s Office has taken lead in the search for a missing diver near Santa Cruz Island. At approximately 6:45 p.m. yesterday, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) responded to the Painted Cave Preserve to search for a diver who had not surfaced. The diver, 34-year-old Ryder Sturt of Port Hueneme, and a dive partner had been tank diving for lobster off of a 20-foot recreational boat in the area. When the dive partner surfaced and Sturt did not, the dive partner radioed for help. The USCG Cutter Narwal responded to the request for assistance and searched the waters off Santa Cruz Island overnight while FOB Mug searched from the air. Today, the USCG continued their search with additional vessel and air resources including Santa Barbara County Air Support Copter 964 on its first operational mission. Copter 964 conducted an aerial search for the missing diver and provided medical support for the search divers. The USCG requested the assistance of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team who responded to the area and began dives at 1:30 p.m. today. Sheriff’s divers searched the waters for approximately three hours, but were unable to locate the missing diver. At approximately 5:00 p.m., rescue efforts were suspended and command was transferred to the Sheriff’s Office for search and recovery. The search for the missing diver will continue tomorrow. Additional agencies will be responding to assist with the search including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dive Team, Los Angeles Port Police, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, and the USCG who will provide perimeter safety zone patrol for the divers. This incident does not appear suspicious in nature.

November 30, 2020 [KEYT]: “Coast Guard, SB Sheriff search for missing diver off Santa Cruz Island. SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Calif. - Crews with the Coast Guard and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are working on an ongoing search and rescue mission for a diver who went missing Sunday evening. The Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach received a report of the missing diver around 6:45 p.m. Sunday. The diver, identified as 34-year-old Ryder Sturt of Port Hueneme, had reportedly been with a partner tank diving for lobster off of a 20-foot recreational boat but never came back up to the water's surface after going down. The two had been diving in the Painted Cave Preserve area of Santa Cruz Island at the time of the incident. The Coast Guard responded their USCG Cutter Narwal while the FOB Mug searched from the air. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office sent a dive team and Air Support Copter 964 to assist with the search. Sheriff’s divers searched the waters for about three hours but were unable to locate the missing diver. Around 5 p.m., rescue efforts were temporarily halted and command of the mission was transferred from the Coast Guard to the sheriff’s office as a search and recovery. The sheriff's office said the search and recovery will continue on Tuesday. Additional agencies will be responding to assist with the search including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dive Team, Los Angeles Port Police, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and the US Coast Guard who will provide perimeter safety zone patrol for the divers. At this time, the incident does not appear suspicious.”