The search for a diver reported missing over the weekend was suspended Sunday, pending further information, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ellen Ruth Domb, 79, of North Palm Beach, was reported missing following a dive Friday morning at the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg wreck off of Key West. In an online statement from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, officials said that Domb was separated from her dive buddy within minutes of entering the water. There were strong currents that day, according to the statement.
The 150-to-200-foot dive is a popular one, attracting thousands of divers annually. It is the second largest shipwreck in the world. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.
Domb is described as a 5-foot-6 white woman. Anyone with information may call 911 or the U.S. Coast Guard at 305-292-8727 or by marine VHF Channel 16.
Previous Incidents
Last month, 50-year-old Nicholas James Strazzulla, a certified diving instructor of Inverness, Florida, died after losing consciousness while diving at the Vandenberg wreck.
Strazzulla’s wife, Tammy Strazzulla, said in a statement published via social media by his employer that her husband “was doing what he loved to do when he was called home by the Lord.”
In September, a 17-year-old died while using a hookah rig in the Florida Keys. The boy in that case, Cameron Ruwe, who allegedly aspired to be a firefighter, was honored by his area’s local department shortly after his death.
His stepmother, Katherine Zaensi, said Cameron was rarely seen without a smile and that he “never, ever, ever had a bad day.”
“Cameron was there to help every single person that needed it, whether they asked for it or not,” she told reporters.
Leesfield & Partners
Operating out of coastal cities like Miami and Key West, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how quickly things can change out on the water. From horrific wrecks to intoxicated boating and drowning incidents, our attorneys have handled just about every manner of injury that can occur on Florida waters. Our skilled trial attorneys know just how taxing and confusing navigating the legal system can be and they handle every case with the compassion and tenacity necessary to secure the best possible outcome on behalf of injured clients and grieving families.
In 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported approximately 685 reportable boating incidents statewide, resulting in 81 fatalities and nearly 400 injuries. About 65% of boaters involved in fatal accidents had not received formal boating education — underscoring the importance of safety awareness on the water.
As a part of the firm’s public safety advocacy, safety tips and memos are regularly shared on the firm’s digital board outside of its Miami office, which is situated on South Dixie Highway and is passed by hundreds of commuters every day. Additionally, the firm contributed annually via its Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield’s, charitable foundation – The Leesfield Family Foundation.
“The dangers from boating incidents are entirely underestimated as South Florida becomes more congested, drinking on the water becomes more prevalent and distractions from cell phones and other devices increases,” he said. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
Ongoing Cases
The firm has several ongoing cases involving boating accidents in the state.
Leesfield & Partners is handling an ongoing case in which an 11-year-old girl was similarly injured when her leg was sliced by a vessel being operated by a summer camp counselor.
The case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane.
“We’re starting to see this kind of carelessness creep into what should be the safest kind of boating activities, and that would be summer camps and children’s programs,” Mr. Shapiro told local media in a recent interview. “And it has to stop. To make sure this never happens to any other child.”
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing the family of Erin Ko, 13, who died in a tragic sailboat-barge crash in July while participating in a sailing summer camp. Erin was one of three children who passed away when the sailboat the children were on was hit by a barge carrying a crane and other construction supplies.
The barge in that case was being pulled by a tugboat and, on Thursday, Oct. 30, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it was recommending manslaughter charges be brought against the operators of the tugboat involved in the crash.
Calena Areyan Gruber, 7, was also aboard the sailboat on the day of the tragic crash. She suffered severe emotional and physical injuries as a result and thankfully survived. She is also being represented by Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Shane.
Previous Drowning and Swim-Related Injuries
Leesfield & Partners obtained a historic settlement in a case involving a swimming pool incident at a Hotel Resort Orlando in Osceola County. In that case, our client’s son was swimming when he was caught in the suction of the pool’s drain. The child could not be removed because the hotel failed to have an emergency shut off switch.
For nearly 10 minutes, our client’s child remained underwater. As a result, he was later diagnosed with brain damage that would require life-long medical care. This case, which was handled by Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, is the largest result of its kind in Osceola County.
One family was forever changed when a father and husband lost his wife and two young daughters due to the U.S. Navy’s failure to maintain its pier in a safe condition.
“Ivan Grayson, tormented by the mind-numbing horror of the tragedy that wiped his family from the face of the earth, desperately needs to know why this happened,” U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said of the case.
Grayson was awarded $2.95 million for the loss of his family.
Previously, the firm secured a seven-figure settlement for a family whose toddler drowned in South Florida. In that case, an inadequately installed child safety fence around the pool was found at the home.
The firm also represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a tour with a Florida boat company. The firm secured a $575,000 settlement in that case.
Previous Boating Injury Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lie to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Mr. Pimentel represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.