HMCS Star pays tribute to diver who died last week

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Star says a member of their Star Dive Team died after a recreational incident last on Saturday, January 9th.

Umberto Maya Masferrer was a sailor second class with the Royal Canadian Navy. In a social media post, the HMCS Star says that the 21-year-old was a well-liked and promising young diver who had recently returned from the coast. They say he was eagerly willing to help anyone around him and and anyone who knew him were lucky.

It is with sadness that we share on Saturday 9 Jan, 2021, Sailor Second Class Umbertomaya Masferrer, ‘Maya’ died in a recreational diving accident. Embraced by the STAR dive team, he became a well-liked and promising young diver. He had recently returned from the coast; pic.twitter.com/RnszKYWmBt

— HMCS STAR / NCSM STAR (@HMCS_NCSM_STAR) January 16, 2021

He is survived by his parents Lorna Schwartzentruber and Roberto Masferrer of Guelph, Ontario.

Last Saturday Niagara Regional Police and Welland Fire were called to the old recreational canal after reports of distress just after 2:00 p.m.

Two scuba divers went into the water but one of them became trapped under the ice. Unfortunately, emergency services were not able to get there on time.

The victim’s name has still not been officially released.