Dubai coastguard search for missing free diver

The wife and friends of an experienced Algerian diver who went missing 32 kilometers (20 miles) off Dubai say coastguard is searching for him after he disappeared in the waters almost 24 hours ago.

Rana Ghaleb says she was on the boat on Wednesday afternoon when her husband, Adel Ait-Ghezala, went free diving with two other friends, wearing only a wetsuit, flippers, goggles and a specialized watch. The group was spearfishing.

Ghaleb says her 35 year-old husband never emerged from the water.

Ait-Ghezala is a PhD student at the American University in Washington DC. The couple was visiting Dubai from their home in the United States.

A family friend says several boats, divers and a helicopter are involved in the search operation Thursday.

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