DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A body matching the description of a 17-year-old swimmer who disappeared after being caught in a rip current has been recovered in Daytona Beach, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the body was located Saturday morning following an extensive overnight search. Officials cautioned that formal identification is still pending, but the individual matches the description of the missing teenager.
RELATED: Teen missing, friend rescued after rip current incident in Daytona Beach
The 17-year-old, who is from Orlando, disappeared Friday evening after he and a friend became caught in a powerful rip current while swimming off Daytona Beach. The emergency call came in around 7:36 p.m., according to Volusia County Beach Safety.
The second swimmer was rescued, but the teen was swept away, prompting a large search by lifeguards, sheriff’s office, Coast Guard, FWC, and responders. They used rescue vessels, Jet Skis, sonar, drones, and a helicopter.
As nighttime fell on Friday, officials suspended lifeguards’ in-water search efforts because dangerous surf conditions and red flag warnings made it too hazardous to continue. The search resumed Saturday morning.
Recovery follows a perilous day at Volusia County beaches, where lifeguards saved nearly 200 swimmers from dangerous rip currents on Friday. Earlier, a 60-year-old man from Daytona Beach died after being pulled from the water in a different drowning incident.
Authorities remind beachgoers to heed warning flags and swim only in staffed areas. If caught in a rip current, stay calm, conserve energy, and swim parallel to shore until out of the current before returning to the beach.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said additional information, including the official identification of the recovered body, will be released once it becomes available.
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