Search called off for missing Connecticut man last seen diving in the Bahamas
The search has been suspended for a missing Connecticut police officer who was last seen diving in the Bahamas Friday, according to social media posts from agencies involved.
Ryan Proulx was last seen Friday diving near the Bimini Barge Wreck, 1 1⁄2 miles west of Bimini Inlet, tweeted the U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District, which was assisted in the search by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
By Sunday, the Coast Guard had tweeted that the search was over, and that Coast Guard aircraft crews searched more than 673 square miles and 6½ hours.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the Proulx family,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matt Spado, Coast Guard liaison officer, in a tweet. “The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is one we never take lightly.”
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An account appearing to belong to Proulx’s sister, Nicole Proulx, responded to the Coast Guard on Twitter to thank them for searching for the missing man.
“Thank you for your efforts in attempting to locate my brother,” she wrote Sunday.
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She shared memories of her brother, including a 2019 video of him diving in the North Atlantic Ocean.
“This was who Ryan Proulx was,” she tweeted. “Fearless, Happy. In the place he loved the very most.”
Proulx worked for the Monroe Police Department from 2014 to 2017 before transferring to East Hartford, said Keith White, MPD's police chief.
"He still had many friends here at the police department and we're wishing the best for his family," White told Paste BN. "It's such a tragic event."
A May 2019 post from the East Hartford Police Department shows Proulx and two other officers being honored at a recognition ceremony because they made the most DUI arrests in 2018.
“Congratulations Officer Proulx, Officer Gorynski, and Officer Kaplan, and thank you for your commitment to eliminate drunk driving,” the department wrote at the time.
In light of recent news surrounding his disappearance, the department shared a photo of him with a message to his family and friends.
“The East Hartford Police Department is saddened to hear the news regarding Ryan Proulx,” the department wrote on Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan and the Proulx family.”