JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A body found Monday morning on Ponte Vedra Beach is that of a 15-year-old boy who had been missing since Saturday when he was believed to have been caught up in a rip current in Jacksonville Beach.
The boy disappeared just before 5 p.m. Saturday in the water near the lifeguard station and was found about 10 miles south in Ponte Vedra Beach on Monday morning.
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The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Beach Police Department are on scene at the discovery of a body near Ponte Vedra Blvd on the beach. This is confirmed to be the 15-year-old swimmer who went missing from Jacksonville Beach on Saturday. This is an active… pic.twitter.com/t7LxQkmzl4
— St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (@TeamSJSO) September 23, 2024
Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, the JSO Marine Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard had been on the scene searching for the teen.
RELATED: Search turns to recovery effort for 15-year-old swimmer missing since Saturday in Jacksonville Beach
Officials said that at about 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard was alerted by a beachgoer about a swimmer in distress, approximately one to two blocks north of the lifeguard tower.
Ocean Rescue said it searched the swimmer’s last known location and confirmed he was missing after being caught in a rip current.
The search transitioned to recovery operations Saturday evening, meaning authorities believe the teen could not have survived this long in the water. Search efforts continued through the night.
He is described as:
- 15-years-old
- Black
- 5′8″
- 120 lbs
- High-top fade hairstyle
- Wearing black and red swim trunks