US Navy diver Mark Federspiel, 64, fell overboard on a ferry in Scotland on June 15 and with no witnesses to the incident, his family have spoken about their fears
The wife of a man who fell overboard from a ferry in Scotland fears she may never find out what happened to her husband. US Navy diver Mark Federspiel plunged into the water while travelling home from Gourock to Dunoon with his wife Annette.
They were visiting his 22-year-old daughter Lara on the mainland on Father’s Day, June 15, and despite a lengthy search the dad has not been found. The 64-year-old, who was travelling on the Sound of Shuna, was reported missing at around 1pm when he didn’t return from the toilet. Distressed Annette raised the alarm just seven minutes later but as there were no cameras on the side of the ferry and no eyewitnesses, what happened remains a mystery.
Following the distress call, a major multi-agency search operation was launched, which involved the HM Coastguard helicopter, RNLI lifeboats and nearby vessels, as well as Police Scotland officers, their Dive and Marine Unit and Air Support Unit, the DailyRecord reports.
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Western Ferries suspended their services while the rescue operation was underway – but the search was later stood down at around 4.30pm on Monday, June 16, with nothing found. The family say they are ‘broken’ but want answers almost a fortnight on from the harrowing day.
Annette says she fears Mark will never be found, as the circumstances around what happened to him remain unclear. Speaking to STV News, Annette said: “All I know for sure is that I came onto the boat with Mark, but I came off it without him.
“He has been missing for 12 days now, and the police haven’t found a body. An oceanographer is now assisting the effort. They are looking at things like the tide and Mark’s weight, with the working assumption that he may end up in the area off Helensburgh. But we might never get him back.”
It’s understood Mark had been receiving treatment for a rare form of leukaemia, with the side effects of the drugs often leaving him unsteady on his feet. Paying tribute in a post on Facebook, Annette wrote: “My lovely husband. My soul mate, my life. We are broken. A gentleman. Kind, talented hero. We love you we miss you. It was a pleasure to be your wife I was a lucky girl.”
In another post, she added: “I will never stop looking for you.” It’s understood Mark and Annette had recently returned to her hometown of Dunoon, after spending years in the United States and were looking forward to their retirement in Scotland.
As a US Navy diver, Mark had been responsible for disassembling explosives at sea and was nicknamed “Mark the Shark” because of his speed. Police Scotland said “exhaustive” water searches had concluded, but inquiries are continuing.
Chief inspector James McArthur said: “Around 1.40pm on Sunday, June 15, 2025, we received a report of a 64-year-old man missing from a ferry travelling between Gourock and Dunoon. Police and partner agencies, including the Coastguard attended and extensive searches have been carried out on the water and shorelines. Local officers have been assisted by our Dive and Marine Unit and Air Support Unit.
“The water searches have concluded, however, our enquiries remain ongoing and officers are providing support to his family.” A spokesperson for Western Ferries said they have been co-operating fully with the police and emergency services to assist in understanding the circumstances.