Who is Drake Sweet? US Coast Guard suspends search for missing free diver, 36, off the coast of Naples

Drake Sweet, 36, reportedly disappeared while free diving 70 miles offshore.

Published on: Mar 17, 2025, 10:59:33 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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The US Coast Guard has called off the search for a missing free diver off the coast of Naples. Drake Sweet, 36, reportedly disappeared while free diving 70 miles offshore.

Who is Drake Sweet? US Coast Guard suspends search for missing free diver, 36, off the coast of Naples (GoFundMe)

Last week, Sweet was out on a 21-foot personal vessel with a friend when he went down but failed to resurface. A multi-unit search from the Fort Myers Beach and Clearwater Coast Guard Stations was prompted after his friend activated an emergency beacon.

Crews searched deep waters of about 130 feet, and scoured the area by dea and air. However, the coast guard suspended the efforts after searching around 4,275 square miles, Fox 4 reported.

Freediving is a kind of underwater diving where one has to hold their breath instead of using scuba gear. It is also referred to as breath-hold diving or skin diving.

Who is Drake Sweet?

Sweet has a little less than 4,000 followers on Instagram, where he describes himself as “Spearfisherman” and “Camera Opperator”. Most of his posts are focused on his experiences in adventures during diving.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Drake Sweet (@drakesweet)

Sweet is also the Director of Photography of Bison Films, with the website praising his “keen, creative eye.” According to the website, Bison Films is “your one-stop-shop for high quality, professional photo & video content for your website, social media and television commercials.” It offers services such as screenwriting, storyboarding, producing, directing, filming, editing, color correcting, and more.

A GoFundMe has been launched to support private search efforts for Sweet. “We’re raising funds to support continued private sector search for Drake Sweet until he is home,” the page reads. “Drake went missing while freediving on March 13th. Some of his gear was retrieved at the scene however he has not been located.”

It adds, “The outpouring of support, resources and search and rescue teams has been incredible to see. Thank you for your love for Drake. Let’s bring him home.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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