Authorities have recovered the body of a 17-year-old Los Fresnos man who went missing in the water off South Padre Island.
The body was recovered shortly at around 3 p.m. Thursday, said Chief Deputy Ramiro Garza, with the Cameron County Park Rangers Division.
Garza said the 17-year-old’s body was found by a group fishing who called 9-1-1.
“As soon as they called 9-1-1, we were dispatched to and recovered and transported the body,” Garza said.
Authorities had been searching for the man since he went missing Wednesday afternoon near Beach Access No. 5.
The U.S. Coast Guard, South Padre Island Fire Department, Cameron County Beach Patrol, Cameron County Emergency Management Division and Park Rangers assisted in the search and recovery, Garza said.
The man was pronounced dead by Cameron County Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Benito “Bo” Ochoa IV.
Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a notification at 4:12 p.m. Wednesday from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island watchstanders stating they received a 9-1-1 relay of a missing swimmer last seen in the water near Beach Access 5, the federal agency said in a media release.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and a Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement boat crew to search for the missing swimmer, Coast Guard authorities said.
