Body recovered from cave may be that of diver

Ryder Sturt, 31, of Ventura went missing in 2020 in waters off Santa Cruz Island.

A body recovered this month from an underwater cave system on Santa Cruz Island is believed to be that of a scuba diver who had been missing for two years, officials said.

The body was discovered Nov. 5 by two recreational divers swimming near the island off the Santa Barbara County coast, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The divers spotted the body in an underwater cave near Painted Cave Preserve, off the northwest side of the island.

The discovery was made in the same area where local officials and the U.S. Coast

Guard searched unsuccessfully for 31-year-old Ryder Sturt of Ventura, who went missing Nov. 29, 2020, as he and a partner were diving for lobsters.

When the dive partner surfaced near the 20-foot boat the two had been using, Sturt did not, officials said. Sheriff’s officials said the partner radioed for help, prompting an extended search, by water and air, for the missing diver.

After the discovery of the body, Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s officials, along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Marine Enforcement Unit and the National Park Service, launched a recovery operation.

Santa Barbara sheriff’s officials said they plan to use rapid DNA to confirm if the body is Sturt’s.

The results are expected this week, officials said in the statement.