BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – A body found floating in a large pit filled with water early Monday afternoon has been identified as a 51-year-old woman missing from Keystone Heights, according to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office.
The body of Katherine Jarosz was found near State Road 100 and 21B, just inside the Bradford County line, by friends who were out searching for her, deputies said.
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Sheriff Gordon Smith initially said the body appeared to have on the same type of clothing as Jarosz, who was last seen upset and walking on a trail nearby on Feb. 28. He later confirmed that it was her.
"We don't know if it's accidental. We don't know if it's intentional. But I'll tell you, we take everything seriously and process it as a potential crime scene," Smith said.
The body was found near a construction site in a borrow pit, which had filled with water. The area is a popular recreation site with a walking trail and picnic grounds.
A co-worker of Jarosz said she felt like family.
"Everybody loved her. We all love her," Beverly Tew said. 'She is part of this family."
Jarosz's co-workers from the restaurant where she worked for years were searching for her Monday when they spotted a body in the water.
“It was their day off, and they just wanted to go look,” Smith said. “When you're in this part of the community, you just want to look out for each other. They want to be part of it. They wanted to do something.”
FDLE agents and Clay and Bradford county deputies are combing the area, looking for clues.