Body of missing boater found, Coast Guard says

Search for missing boater in Dry Tortugas area ends

MIAMI ā€“ The search for a missing boater near Dry Tortugas ended Saturday afternoon after the victim's body was found, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Authorities learned at 2 p.m. Saturday divers with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office had found a body matching the description of the missing boater.

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Officials recovered the body from the water and turned it over to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The boating incident, which was first believed to be a possible boat collision, involved just one fishing boat, authorities said.

After further investigation, it was determined the boat involved began taking on water and capsized early Friday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard said it received an alert at 2 a.m. from the capsized boat, which triggered the multi-agency search and rescue response.

One person was pulled to safety by a good Samaritan. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, he was not wearing a life jacket.

Officials said the search for the missing boater intensified throughout the day Friday with multiple crews involved.

Rescue crews covered more than 550 square miles searching for the missing boater before his body was found Saturday, authorities said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident.