VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Remains recovered in 2007 were identified as a diver who went missing while off the coast of Ponce Inlet, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday.
Using funding from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) grant and FDLE’s Genetic Genealogy Investigations team, Volusia sheriff’s detectives were provided a lead to a DNA match of a family member, and identified the remains as Robert Martin.
Recommended Videos
The identification solved a nearly decade-long case.
Deputies said, in 2006, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a distress call about 20 miles east of Ponce Inlet at a popular diving spot known as the “party grounds.”
According to the sheriff’s office, Martin was diving with two associates when he became distressed and went underwater.
Despite the rescue efforts, the Coast Guard could not locate Martin.
In 2007, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office was notified by a diver that they had found some gear located at another diving spot east of Ponce Inlet.
The gear was traced back to Martin through the shop it was purchased from. The same year, a woman walking on the beach in New Smyrna Beach located partial human remains and reported it to law enforcement, deputies said.
Martin was entered into FCIC/NCIC as a missing person in August 2008.
VSO detectives tried to get a DNA match but were unable to identify or locate any potential family members, and their efforts came up empty.
But in January 2025, that changed.
With the help of the Medical Examiner’s Office and funding from the MUHR grant, the case was submitted to Othram, Inc. for DNA sequencing and database search to help solve cases of unidentified human remains and homicide cases.
In April, FDLE’s GGI team conducted extensive analytical and genetic genealogy research.
Then, in May, FDLE’s GGI team provided Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives with the DNA match and positive identification of the victim.
Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office has reviewed the case, including inspecting the dive equipment found in 2007.
Martin’s death has been deemed accidental.