Woman's body discovered by off-duty firefighter in Fern Park lake

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Investigators said a woman’s body found in a Seminole County lake appears to have been there for a while.

The body was discovered Thursday night in Fern Park’s Prairie Lake by an off-duty firefighter who was walking his dog near the shore.

Deputies have not determined if the death is accidental or criminal.

“We’ve lived here 22 years. We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Traci Nelson.

Nelson is one of several nearby residents who watched investigators alongside dive teams recover a woman’s body.

“We kind of grew up here. As a matter of fact, we go swimming in that same area,” said Carl Valdivia.

Valdivia is another neighbor on South Street in Fern Park wondering what happened.

Deputies said the body did not have an ID and they couldn’t determine if someone was responsible for the death.

“All I could see from my balcony is a person lying there, their face forward with some type of blue shirt or life vest on,” said resident Maria Hutchinson.

Hutchinson lives feet away from where the body was found.

Nelson said she had a heavy heart thinking about the woman’s family and wondering if they know they lost a loved one.

“Really, really sad,” Nelson said.

Deputies said there are no missing person cases in the area.

They expect autopsy results to determine how she died.

Cox Media Group