Friends Raising Funds to Bring Ocean County Firefighter's Body to NJ

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Friends of a Toms River man who died on Thanksgiving during a diving excursion in Florida are raising money to help bring his body back to New Jersey.

The Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company, where Ley was a firefighter and the first local group to announce his death, said Monday that it had set up a GoFundMe account to help offset the cost of bringing Ley back to New Jersey as well as help with funeral costs.

"Due to the fact that his tragic and untimely death took place in a different state, the costs of transport, burial, and other expenses are much greater than they would normally be," the fire company said in a Facebook post announcing the effort. "We are hoping to raise some money to help David's family offset some of these costs during this horrible time. We thank you for all of the support and kind words that people have given to us. We along with his family and friends appreciate the condolences."

In addition to volunteering with Island Heights, Ley was a member of the South Toms River First Aid Squad, a per-diem firefighter with the Plumsted Fire District and a member of Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Squad 86, where he had recently earned his rescue diver certification, according to Cristina Kollet, social media director for the squad.

"(Ley) participated with the squad when we provided safety support for the Jersey Outlaws boat race," Kollet said.

Ley, a 2009 graduate of Central Regional High School, who originally was from Britain and was known to friends as "British Dave" or "English Dave," was an avid adventurer, according to friends and postings on Facebook, traveling to a number of locales to hike, swim, jet ski and more. And time and again friends spoke of his generous smile and warm heart.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department said Ley was found unresponsive around 11:30 a.m. about 4 miles from the shore near Dubois Park in Jupiter, Florida.

"The investigation determined that [the] diver had gotten sick," the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Saturday, according to NJ.com.

A boat captain tried to help, but Ley remained unresponsive and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to authorities. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office identified Ley but did not release further details on the cause of death, NJ.com reported.

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the GoFundMe page had raised just less than $2,800 of its $10,000 goal.

Click here if you would like to contribute.

Photo of Dave Ley via GoFundMe page