Several miles off the coast of Florida’s Key Largo, in dark water more than 300 feet below the surface, two volunteer divers made the descent to a sunken sailboat in search of its missing captain.
The divers found what is believed to be human remains inside the cabin and retrieved a small sample to be analyzed. While positive identification through DNA could take months, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigator Vince Weiner told the Miami Herald, “There is no indication it is anybody but him.”
Tanya Cleary, the mother of 24-year-old captain Noah Cullen, said Monday she believes it is the remains of her son. He has been missing since Aug. 4, when a boater spotted his 28-foot sailboat sinking after a storm, and Cleary said she is beginning the grieving process.
“We wanted closure, but this is also extremely painful,” Cleary said.
