Body of drowning victim recovered off Fort Myers Beach
The body of a 55-year-old Fort Myers Beach man was recovered early Tuesday morning after he fell into the water off Mantanzas Pass and disappeared beneath the surface.
The Fort Myers Beach man, whose name will not be released until a next-of-kin is contacted, was reported to be “socializing and drinking with two friends on a 31-foot tri-catamaran last night in Matanzas Pass, when the now-deceased stepped off the boat to get onto an 8-foot dingy to go to his boat, lost his balance, which caused the dingy to fill with water, resulting in him going overboard. He fell into the water, disappeared, and his friends lost sight of him, contacting the authorities soon after,” according to Joy Hill, Public Information Coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife, who received the report at 10:30 Monday night.
He was found by the searchers floating face down at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and local EMS, fire and rescue sources were involved.
As soon as his next of kin is contacted, his name will be released to the public.
Hill said boaters should wear life vests at all times.
“We talk about this all the time. A lot of the accidents we investigate, the people could probably still be alive if they were wearing a life preserver,” she said.