Polk County sheriff's searchers find body of missing 9-year-old in Lake Annie near Dundee

Ledger staff
·2 min read
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Polk County Sheriff's Office divers found the body of a 9-year-old Port St. Lucie boy who fell off the front of a pontoon boat Saturday on Lake Annie south of Dundee.

Brian Bruchey, a public information officer with the Sheriff's Office, said searchers found the boy about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the area where he was last seen. Bruchey said that area of the lake is about 17 feet deep with very low visibility, and divers and an underwater drone had searched the same area repeatedly.

The Sheriff's Office said in a new release Monday afternoon that its deputies, along with Polk County Fire Rescue responded to Lake Annie shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Saturday to reports of the boy falling off the boat and put boats and search teams in the water immediately.

The Sheriff's Office said the boy, his two brothers and their father were on his father's pontoon Saturday when victim fell over the front and was struck by the boat's propeller. The father immediately jumped into the water to look for his son, while one of the other boys called 911 for help.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office, along with several other agencies, have been searching Lake Annie near Dundee for a 9-year-old Port St. Lucie boy who fell off a pontoon boat Saturday.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office, along with several other agencies, have been searching Lake Annie near Dundee for a 9-year-old Port St. Lucie boy who fell off a pontoon boat Saturday.

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The Sheriff's Office said the boy was not wearing a personal flotation device, but was not required to wear one by law.

"It's a tragedy, and an unimaginable nightmare for the family of the boy," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in the prepared release. "We are using extensive resources to find him. We're working in a large lake with depths up to about 16 feet, with poor visibility, but we've been out there 24-hours a day, and will continue to be there until we find him."

PCSO's Marine Unit, Underwater Search and Recovery Team, Aviation Unit and Drone Units have been involved in the ongoing search. Polk County Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office have also been involved in the search and recovery efforts.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk sheriff: Body of Port St. Lucie boy who fell from boat is found