LAFD firefighter's body found off Long Beach months after going missing in ocean

LOS ANGELES - The body of an off-duty Los Angeles firefighter who went missing last year has washed up on shore, the Los Angeles Fire Department announced on Saturday.

Firefighter disappears while free diving

The backstory:

Connor Lees, a 29-year-old firefighter with the LAFD, went missing on Dec. 4, 2024, while free diving off-duty with his friends off the coast of Long Beach.

Authorities said that Lees was one of four men on a private boat near Pier F Avenue free diving, which is a type of diving that doesn't require scuba gear. Three of the men entered the water just before 10 p.m. — one was driving the boat — and a short time later, only two resurfaced. They contacted authorities and within 20 minutes, search efforts began.

Just one day later, crews had called off the search and Lees was presumed dead.

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Firefighter's body found

What we know:

In a post on social media on Saturday, the LAFD said that Lees' body had been recovered. In a post on X, the department said that this body was found in the waters off of Long Beach on Friday.

"We stand united in grief alongside FF Lee's family, friends and colleagues," the post read. "We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him."

At a press conference in December, former LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley said that Lees had been with the department for six years with an active fire department in LA.