Divers around the world expressed grief and shock this week as news broke that renowned instructor Andy Phillips died on a dive in Ontario, Canada.

Phillips, 46, was reported missing after failing to surface from a June 11 dive at Lock 21, a popular site accessible by shore on MacDonell Island. Phillips' body was recovered near the Royal Canadian Air Force boat launch on June 22, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

The tragic accident provoked an outpouring of messages from all corners of the dive world. Phillips worked professionally in diving for more than two decades, spending time in several countries, but most prominently on Utila, Honduras, where he certified thousands of divers at Utila Dive Centre. A native of Inverness, Scotland, Phillips served as the director of professional training at Utila Dive Centre. As a PADI Platinum Course Director and technical instructor, Phillips also trained many instructors and was a highly experienced rebreather diver.

“Utila as we know it—unique and exuberant—exists as it does because of him,” wrote Phillips’ colleagues on the Utila Dive Centre Facebook page. “Andy made an immeasurable impact to the community, the conservation and preservation of marine environment and notably the development of professional scuba divers throughout the world. The impact that leaves our hearts broken is the one he made on everyone who had the privilege to know him.”

See a brief sample of the messages from divers impacted by Phillips’ work throughout the years:

Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Ontario Provincial Police had identified Phillips' body on June 18. The article has been edited to address the error.