ORLANDO, Fla. — Crews on Monday morning resumed their search of an Orange County lake for two fishermen who vanished Sunday, the Orlando Police Department said.
By 4 p.m. Monday, two bodies had been recovered.
Police on Tuesday identified the men as Antonio Maurice Payne, 46, and Steven Lavell Nichols, 48.
UPDATE: A second body has been recovered at Lake Hiawassee. Both presumed to be missing fishermen. Our thoughts are with their families. pic.twitter.com/Sxoa6LvuIA
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) July 10, 2017
Rescuers were called to Lake Hiawassee shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday after a resident spotted an overturned canoe, Orlando police Sgt. Eduardo Bernal said.
"The caller stated it was suspicious because the boat had fishing equipment inside of it; however, there were no people around it," Bernal said.
Divers with the Orlando Fire Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office searched the lake and found a wallet and other items belonging to one of the men, police said.
Investigators also found a truck that was used to launch the canoe.
The search was paused at 10 p.m. Sunday and was resumed at 8 a.m. Monday.
.@OrangeCoSheriff divers begin searching #lakehiawasee for two missing boaters while family members watch @WFTV pic.twitter.com/jfv3tQFtiW
— Roy Ramos (@RramosTV) July 10, 2017
Relatives of Nichols told Channel 9 that he left Sunday to fish with Payne, a friend of 30 years, but he never returned home.
Family members said the men were avid fishermen and strong swimmers. They said the friends fished the lake together weekly.
Cox Media Group
