Capt. Jeffrey Janszen said Friday that the search for Rob Stewart would end at sunset.

"The decision to suspend the search is very difficult," Janszen said. "It is not met lightly."

Less than two hours later, the Coast Guard said on Twitter that a Key Largo Fire Department dive team found the 37-year-old Toronto man`s body at a depth of 220 feet beneath the surface of the water.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle used by the dive team helped them find the body.

It was a group of six, including a Key Largo firefighter, who spotted Stewart`s body just before the search was to end Friday evening.

Key Largo Fire Department Capt. Rob Bleser said the group used a robotic device equipped with propulsion and a camera to find the body under the surface.

"This reel is connected to this -- you can send it up to 1,000 feet," Bleser said. "This was a way of getting down and being able to spend extended periods of time."

Bleser`s team said Stewart was nearly 220 feet underwater, still wearing his wetsuit and heavy dive equipment.

Stewart was reported missing Tuesday afternoon while diving near Alligator Reef.

Janszen said the Coast Guard had favorable weather conditions during the search, but the chances of survival greatly diminished after 72 hours. He said the search area -- which spanned more 5,900 square miles -- had been "searched consistently for the last three days."

Stewart was on his third deep dive of the day when he briefly resurfaced before disappearing. Janszen said Stewart was diving at a depth of 220 feet.

"Very few divers are qualified to dive at that depth," Janszen said.

Janszen said another diver in Stewart`s group had passed out and was being tended to on the dive boat when Stewart resurfaced. He said the boat crew lost sight of Stewart as they were turning around to pick him up. Janszen said the other diver regained consciousness and refused medical attention.

The U.S. Navy, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Monroe County Sheriff`s Office had been assisting in the search.

Stewart directed the 2006 documentary "Sharkwater." He was in the Florida Keys working on the sequel to the movie, scheduled to be released this year.

The filmmaker`s parents weren`t ready to give up, despite the Coast Guard`s decision to suspend the search. Brian Stewart told Local 10 News that he was prepared to offer a $200,000 reward for anyone who found his son alive.

The Stewart family released a statement on Sharkwater.com late Friday saying they found comfort in knowing that he "passed while doing what he loved."

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