TAMPA, Fla. — A 63-year-old St. Petersburg man who fell overboard Saturday was found dead in the channel south of Maximo Park.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said Tony Le was boating with his family near channel marker 18 when he fell into the water. Witnesses attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful.
Detectives said Le, who had medical impairments, was wearing a life jacket earlier in the day but appeared to have removed it before entering the water.
Search efforts paused at nightfall and resumed Sunday morning. The sheriff’s office dive team located Le’s body at a depth of about 19 feet Sunday afternoon.
Deputies said rescue crews launched from a nearby marina and were on scene. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers also helped with search and rescue operations alongside the PCSO, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
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Meanwhile, beachgoers just north of the North Fishing Pier saw everything unfold firsthand. That included Tony Kurtanick and his family from Parrish.
"I heard one police boat pulling somebody over, but there's a large presence of helicopters in the air," Kurtanick said.
He said the area is normally quiet on weekends and filled with locals trying to escape nearby crowded beaches.
Those helicopters Kurtanick and others saw provided an eagle-eye view of the water during the search for the man.
Officials have not identified him, nor provided any updates on who they might be looking for.
A fisherman Tampa Bay 28's Barrett Tryon spoke to, who didn't want to talk on camera, said crews had been searching the area northwest of the bridge for several hours.
Tampa Bay 28 crews saw several boats zoning in on a stretch of water off the west shore for much of the afternoon.
While reports of people going missing in the water do happen, officials stress that it is not a daily occurrence. They do want to remind people to be prepared in case of an emergency as the weather warms up and more people are out and about.
As of Saturday evening, there has been no update from officials on the man's status.
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