JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just over four hours after authorities were called to Huguenot Memorial Park because of a missing swimmer Saturday, crews were spotted removing what appeared to be a body from a boat at Alimacani Park, about a mile north of Huguenot.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office did not confirm until Monday that the swimmer’s body was recovered Saturday.
The swimmer disappeared shortly after 1 p.m. in the waters on the Fort George Inlet side of Huguenot Park, according to Jacksonville Fire Rescue.
JFRD said it was using marine and air units and was working with Huguenot lifeguards and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the search, which was turned over to JSO just before 4 p.m.
About an hour later, News4JAX received a tip that a body had been recovered in the water of Fort George Inlet.
The body was taken by boat to Alimacani Park, which is just north of Heckscher Drive.
In a release on Monday, JSO confirmed the body was recovered on Saturday, saying a man was swimming with friends at Huguenot Park when he was swept out by a strong current.
JSO said the Air Unit, Marine Unit, Dive Team, JFRD’s Underwater Rescue Team, and several citizens on boats and personal watercraft searched for the man.
The JSO Dive Team eventually found the man’s body after several hours, police said.
The Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine his exact cause of death, but police said there were no signs of foul play.
Crews are searching for a missing swimmer at Hugenot park…this is a multi agency search involving us, the lifeguards, and @JSOPIO
— THEJFRD (@THEJFRD) April 23, 2022
Only an hour after News4JAX saw the body being removed from the boat on Saturday, we got word of another incident on the water.
An exhausted child swimmer had to be rescued from the Atlantic Ocean at Hanna Park, according to JFRD. They were taken to the hospital.
Saturday morning, JaxReady, the official Twitter for the city’s emergency preparedness division, posted a red flag warning for dangerous ocean conditions, warning swimmers not to get in the water Saturday.
RED FLAG WARNING - HIGH HAZARD / DANGEROUS OCEAN CONDITIONS. Swimmers should not go in the water. In case of emergencies, call 911.
— JaxReady (@JaxReady) April 23, 2022
Just last weekend first responders rescued a child who had been thrown from a personal watercraft in an accident near Huguenot Memorial Park.
That search lasted a little less than half an hour before rescuers announced the child had been found safe.