Summary based on the NamUs case record (CP999656607)
Virgil Macniel Price III, a 38-year-old experienced freediver and instructor, was last seen on the morning of May 12, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was spearfishing with friends near the S.S. Halsey shipwreck, a World War II-era sunken tanker, located approximately 13 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet. Price, who was well-known in the local diving community, failed to resurface after a dive.
He was with two other divers at the time of the incident; three went down, but only two returned to the surface.
Price was an instructor of surfing, diving, and spearfishing at Florida Freedivers and was described as a dear friend and family to his colleagues. Beyond his passion for the ocean, he was a talented musician, adept at playing the mandolin, piano, and bass guitar. On the morning of his disappearance, which was Mother's Day, Price had a heartfelt phone call with his mother, telling her she was his inspiration.
An extensive search and rescue operation was launched by the U.S. Coast Guard and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. The search covered over 1,400 square miles over a 36-hour period. The diving conditions in the area of the shipwreck were noted to be challenging, with a potential for strong currents and entanglement hazards from fishing lines and the sharp, rusty metal of the wreck itself. The S.S. Halsey, a 7,088-ton tanker torpedoed in 1942, rests in about 65 feet of water.
The search for Virgil Price was officially suspended on the evening of May 12, 2024. Tragically, during the search efforts, the body of another individual was recovered, but it did not match Price's description. Price's body was never found, and he is now presumed to be lost at sea. In his memory, his family and loved ones are working to create an artificial reef in his honor.Last Seen: May 12, 2024
