The body of Los Angeles firefighter Connor Lees, who went missing during an off-duty diving trip, was recovered off the Long Beach coast on Friday, according to authorities.
On March 28, officers conducting dive training discovered the remains, LBPD Lt. John Hotchkiss confirmed.
The Los Angeles Fire Department received official confirmation of the identification from the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday, LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart reported. Lees, 29, had been reported missing on December 4 after a dive in the Long Beach port. Search efforts took place over two days before the LBPD determined he was lost at sea.
In a statement, the LAFD expressed condolences to Lees’ family, friends, and colleagues, stating that the department was mourning alongside them.
Authorities noted that no evidence of foul play was found, though an investigation remains ongoing.
Lees had been free diving for lobster with three others near Pier J, south of the Queen Mary, from a private boat. Free diving involves breath-hold diving without the use of scuba equipment.
