National Geographic Photographer Wes Skiles Dies During Dive

(July 22) -- Wes Skiles, an acclaimed underwater photographer, explorer and filmmaker, died on a dive off the eastern coast of Florida Wednesday after finishing an assignment for National Geographic.

In a statement to AOL News, National Geographic spokeswoman Ellen Stanley said Skiles died after "the conclusion of a scientific research expedition related to marine life. Our thoughts are with Wes' family."

Wes Skiles, Pioneering Adventure Photographer

Orlando Sentinel / MCT

Photographer Wes Skiles prepares to dive with his underwater video equipment at Ginnie Springs, Florida, in 2007.

The well-known freelance filmmaker, whose latest work is featured on the cover of the magazine's August issue, was 52.

Skiles signaled to other divers that he was out of film and that he would come up to the surface to retrieve more. But a few minutes later, his colleagues saw his body lying on the ocean floor, according to a report in The Miami Herald. He was later pronounced dead at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to CNN reports. The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office is investigating.

Skiles documented life below the surface of the world's oceans for more than two decades and was a pioneer in underwater cinematography. He was also known as a passionate conservationist.

Others who knew Skiles reacted to the news with sadness. "Wes successfully filmed where no one had before," John Moran, a friend and colleague of Skiles', wrote today on the Audubon of Florida's website. "His work took us places we could never imagine, and helped us to see and appreciate the world in a new light."