Tatyana Smirnov, a 29-year-old systems programmer from Framingham, Massachusetts, disappeared while on a scuba diving vacation in the Florida Keys on November 9, 2003. An employee of Fidelity Investments in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Smirnov was an immigrant from the former Soviet Union. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as a white female with black hair and black eyes, between 5'4" and 5'8" tall, and weighing between 136 and 150 pounds. She had several distinguishing marks, including a history of fractures in her left arm, an appendectomy scar, and a small scar on her upper right thigh.
On the afternoon of her disappearance, Smirnov was part of a dozen-person diving excursion aboard the Tropic Vista boat to the Cocker Reef area, located off the southwestern tip of Key Largo and southeast of Islamorada. At approximately 5:00 p.m., while swimming in about forty feet of water with her diving partner, they decided to return to the boat. Her partner reported getting slightly ahead of her and when he looked back, Smirnov had vanished. Unable to return to the boat on his own, her partner was later rescued by the Coast Guard in good condition.
An extensive search for Tatyana Smirnov was launched following her disappearance. Thirteen days later, a lobster fisherman discovered her scuba equipment, including her compensator, regulator, tanks, and dive computer, off the coast of Islamorada. The gear was positively identified by her husband. Despite the recovery of her equipment, there has been no sign of Smirnov. While she is presumed to have been lost at sea, her body has never been recovered.
Last Seen: Nov 09, 2003
