Man jumps off boat to get hat and vanishes. Body found 2 days later, Florida cops say

The body of a 22-year-old boater has been recovered nearly two days after he jumped in Florida’s Lake Jackson to get a hat, according to searchers.

Omar Gutierrez-Gomez was visiting the lake from nearby Hardee County when he went missing shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, May 11, the Sebring Fire Department said. Sebring is about a 95-mile drive southeast of Tampa.

“Mr. Gutierrez-Gomez jumped off a boat to retrieve his hat from the lake, and unfortunately never resurfaced,” the Sebring Police Department reported May 13.

“After nearly 36 hours of search and recovery efforts, Mr. Gutierrez-Gomez’ body was ultimately recovered by first responders.”

The body was found early Monday, May 13, officials said.

His death is being investigated as a boating accident, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is taking the lead, officials said.

“This is a heartbreaking end for this family as well as everyone involved in the search efforts,” the Sebring Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “This is a sad reminder that a day on the boat can change in an instant.”

Lake Jackson is a 9,212-acre freshwater lake that is “25 feet at its deepest,” Visitsebring.com reports. “Most of the area is fairly shallow,” the site says.

This story was originally published May 13, 2024 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Man jumps off boat to get hat and vanishes. Body found 2 days later, Florida cops say."