Police: Woman vanishes off Dania Beach, washes ashore dead in Hollywood Beach

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DANIA BEACH, Fla. — A woman was snorkeling or diving in the ocean off Dania Beach when she vanished and later washed ashore dead at Hollywood Beach, according to the Hollywood Police Department.

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The woman was swimming on Wednesday in the area of Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park at 6503 North Ocean Drive, according to Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman for the HPD.

“Detectives have identified the female and are working to make next of kin notifications,” Bettineschi wrote in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

Hollywood police officers responded to a 911 call at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday after witnesses saw the body, east of the North Boardwalk and south of the Hollywood North Beach Park.

“We saw two fishermen and then what looked like a body on the beach ... We saw them drag her up ... it was disheartening,” Gianluca Fiore, a witness, told Local 10 News on Thursday morning.

There were Hollywood police officers on and off the beach late into the night, near North Surf Road, between New Mexico and Thomas streets.

The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office was conducting an autopsy. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation investigators worked with Hollywood detectives, and their investigation was ongoing on Thursday afternoon, according to Bettineschi.

Detectives asked anyone with information about the case to call 954-764-4357 or 954-967-4567, or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 to remain anonymous.

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Janine Stanwood

Janine Stanwood

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