So Sad.

Body of missing diver found

by Stephanie Taylor

OFF MISSION BEACH, Dec. 29 - The body of a German woman who disappeared in
the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast was found late Friday afternoon.
The 42-year-old diver was on a chartered scuba dive when she vanished Friday
morning.


The disappearance prompted an intensive underwater search for
Monica Vicla. The U.S. Coast Guard joined in the search from the air.


The diver's brother was one of her two dive buddies Friday morning.
The woman was part of an underwater tour group that was diving to see
the Yukon, a decommissioned Canadian destroyer, which was intentionally sunk
last year to serve as an artificial reef and diving attraction.
Lifeguards say one of the family members accompanying the woman on the
trek reported her missing in the ocean west of Belmont Park at about 10:45
a.m. They were just a few minutes into the dive with the two men when she
vanished. "When they reached the top of the vessel, two of them became
involved fixing an equipment problem, a minor equipment problem. Meanwhile,
the third one became separated from the group. When they turned around, she
wasn't there," said San Diego lifeguard Lt. Brant Bass. Vicla was about 75
feet down when she was last seen.
She came from Germany just to dive at the Yukon. One of her dive buddies
was her brother. "Her two dive buddies were pretty shook up and they were
looking around out into the water," said diver Mike Fieber.
Scuba teams from the city lifeguard service and the county Sheriff's
Department searched for the woman throughout the day. A Coast Guard
helicopter crew joined in the search.
Lt. Bass said the woman had about 15 minutes air supply at the time she
was reported missing. He said only advanced divers should go on dives at the
Yukon.

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