Beach photo session at ends with 17-year-old missing. Body found, Florida deputies say

UPDATE: The body of Nick Lovensen Alincy was recovered at Bathtub Beach in Stuart around 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reports. That’s about five miles south of where he was last seen, officials said.

The original story continues below.

A 17-year-old boy went missing in the Atlantic Ocean, just minutes after a photo session showed him greeting the sunrise with arms raised, according to Florida officials.

Nick Lovensen Alincy of Fort Pierce vanished around 6:45 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, in waters off Sea Turtle Beach, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Sea Turtle Beach is in Jensen Beach, about 115 miles north of Miami.

“A witness said it appears Nick got caught up in rough surf during an early morning swim that was pulling him further out into the water,” the sheriff’s office said.

Alincy and his girlfriend arrived at the beach at daybreak to take some “neat photos of the sunrise,” Chief Deputy John Budensiek said in an interview posted on Facebook by WPBF.

“Several individuals have since reported to us that a few yards down the beach, they also saw Mr. Alincy in the surf before he went under. (He) has not since resurfaced,” Budensiek said.

“Really, this is a needle in a haystack type of recovery operation.”

Alincy played soccer for the PSL Hurricanes FC, a youth club, and was “a dedicated student-athlete at St. Lucie West Centennial High School,” according to a fundraiser.

The search includes Martin County dive teams and aviation units, and officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, officials said.

Swift flowing rip currents that drag people out to sea are the most common cause of beach fatalities along Florida, according to the National Weather Service.

“Rip currents are often referred to as drowning machines by lifeguards,” NOAA reports.

“Speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second, but speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured. That is faster than an Olympic swimmer! Drowning deaths occur when people, pulled away from the shoreline, are unable to keep themselves afloat.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Beach photo session at ends with 17-year-old missing. Body found, Florida deputies say."