In Reply to: Cops say Laguna Beach diver faked his death in September. posted by Chuck Tribolet on January 02, 2009 at 22:27:14:

This method of diving related disappearance has occurred several times previously...

1) Very early 1960s two divers parked their auto at Scotsmans cove (aka Reef Point) leaving all their clothes and valuables as if they were going diving.

An extensive search was began but the results were negative and after a period of time called off.

Several moths later the FBI discovered them working off shore in the oil industry in Louisiana

2) In the mid 1960s a free diver disappeared at Poppy street (aka Second beach) in Corona Del Mar. The then loosely organized OC UW S&R team, which I was a member, was activated to search for the body, and search we did ==for two days early in the AM at low tide and and later at high tide, shallow and deep..No body was located.

The entire time the victims family was setting in house hold chairs on the beach ( the picture of them is firmly imbedded in my sub consciousness) anxiously awaiting for the team to recover the body. On the third day a huge storm came eliminating any further searching for over a week..

After a week of storms no body appeared and the search was terminated.

Concurrently the victim's dive buddies were being questioned by the authorities..Finally they confessed, The victim had faked his drowning death and with their assistance had flown to Canada in order to avoid military service. His coconspirators faced a variety of charges...

And so it was....and so it is,