ROCKPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - An investigation is underway after officials said two divers were found dead in Rockport Wednesday.
Local emergency responders as well as state police personnel and members of the Coast Guard previously combed the waters off Rockport after officials said one diver was found dead on Front Beach and another was reported missing.
A Coast Guard official told 7NEWS the search started around 4:15 p.m.
The search then ended after several hours when the body of the missing diver, a 70-year-old man, was recovered from the water.
Officials said the Essex County District Attorney’s office is now handling the investigation into what led to these deaths.
7NEWS reached out to the DA’s office for more information but did not hear back Wednesday night.
One woman speaking with 7NEWS, though, said her father and uncle were the divers who died.
The woman said the pair went diving in the water around Back Beach and Front Beach to test equipment before an upcoming trip. The woman said her father was the man found dead on Front Beach.
When police contacted her, the woman said, she told them her uncle had been with her dad. The search ensued.
The search ultimately included divers, boats, planes and helicopters, with authorities scouring the area as sunset approached.
Area resident Peter Van Demark said he saw Coast Guard aircraft flying in the area.
Van Demark continued, saying local waters are a popular spot for divers.
“This is such a popular place for diving, people come from distances,” Van Demark said.
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