A 45-year-old American diver has reportedly died by drowning during a dive at Lighthouse Reef, Belize.
The man, who has been identified as Sagar Dhanasekhar from North Carolina, was part of a group of 18 divers when he was spotted floating motionless in the water, approximately 40 metres from the dive boat.
Local police reports say the divers were under the supervision of a 70-year-old divemaster from Belize City, although it is not clear if the divers were part of a single dive group or split into smaller buddy teams.
Attempts were made to resuscitate Mr Dhanasekhar using CPR, but he was eventually transported to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the main public hospital of Belize City, where he was pronounced dead.
Lighthouse Reef is the easternmost atoll of the Belize Barrier Reef, widely regarded as one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The atoll is also the location of Belize’s famous 120 m-deep Great Blue Hole.
Police have launched an investigation into the cause of death.
