Search for 28-year-old firefighter in Port of Long Beach turns to recovery operation

Authorities continued the search Friday for a 28-year-old firefighter who disappeared in the water at the Port of Long Beach.

The search, now considered a recovery effort, began before 10 p.m. Wednesday near the 1200 block of Pier F Avenue. The off-duty firefighter was one of four men on a private boat near Pier F Wednesday night were freediving, which is a type of diving that doesn't require scuba gear.

The missing diver was identified only as a 28-year-old man who had been with the Los Angeles Fire Department for six years.

"As in-water operations continued tirelessly for more than 19 hours, the survivability profile of the diver and decreased visibility made it difficult to sustain prolonged search operations," the LAFD said in a Thursday statement. "Based on these factors and the extended time since the diver was last seen, the decision was made Thursday evening by Unified Command to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation.

The search will continue in the area the firefighter was last seen.

Involved in the search effort were personnel from the LAFD, the Long Beach Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Los Angeles Port Police Department and the Long Beach Police Department.