ANNA MARIA, Fla. (WFLA) — The search for a missing swimmer off Anna Maria Island that began Sunday evening, ended Monday with the recovery of a body.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says witnesses reported seeing two men struggling in the water around 7:00 p.m. off of Bean Point.
People on the beach were able to help rescue one of the men; the other was caught in the current and did not make it back to the beach.
Kevin Wenk was on the beach when the search began.
“We found it unusual because we heard helicopters passing by. We weren’t sure of the situation, but we noticed helicopters going back and forth. Today’s the day we’ve seen the most police activity, with Coast Guard helicopters also in the area,” Wenk mentioned.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that 20-year-old Abhigyan Patel had been swimming with a friend off the beach when they were caught in a riptide.
The search carried on into the evening. On Monday morning, officers from the Longboat Key Police Department, as reported by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, discovered a body six feet underwater approximately a mile offshore.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office stated that they cannot yet confirm if the body found on Monday morning is Patel. They are awaiting the victim’s family members to verify the identity.
