Thomas Aaron Faulkenberry, 44, a dive instructor from Stock Island, Florida, went missing on August 2, 2023, during a dive near the U.S.N.S. General Hoyt S. Vandenberg wreck about seven miles off Key West. He entered the water from the dive boat Dream Cat at about 9:20 a.m.; the vessel’s crew reported him overdue to the U.S. Coast Guard at approximately 10:13 a.m. Faulkenberry was on a dive to place a decompression tank on a line at the popular wreck site, which is known for strong currents.

Faulkenberry was described as a white male, 6 feet 3 inches, 220–230 pounds, with long curly blond hair, a long black and gray beard, tattoos on both arms, and wearing black shorts, dive gear and prescription glasses at the time he disappeared. He was an experienced diver and a nearly 20-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran working for Lost Reef Adventures.

An extensive multi-agency search covered roughly 4,300 square miles over nearly six days before the U.S. Coast Guard suspended active searching on August 7, 2023, pending new information. Captain Jason Ingram called the incident a tragic accident. Faulkenberry is survived by his wife and four sons; his brother, Weston Faulkenberry, provided family updates during the search.

Did anyone who was diving at the Vandenberg site on August 2, 2023, or working on the Dream Cat that day see or hear anything that could help the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigation?