LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, FLA. (WSVN) – Authorities have suspended their search for a swimmer who went missing in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said the man was last seen in the vicinity of the Anglins Fishing Pier at Commercial Boulevard and the beach, at around 3 p.m., Monday.
According to BSO and beachgoers, a family saw a man who appeared to be by himself, ready to go snorkeling, as he went in the water with a small flotation device. The device had a dive flag attached to it.
Investigators said he hasn’t been seen since, but they found the small buoy that belonged to the swimmer.
“Hopefully he was just offshore and came out without it,” said a member of a family. “Praying that it’s all just a misunderstanding and that buoy fell off the boat.”
A BSO helicopter flew over the water, and some boats converged on the area where the swimmer was last seen.
According to BSO, the dive flag had no distinctive characteristics or specific store or name.
The identity of the young man is unknown.
BSO spent hours searching for the missing swimmer but came up empty. It remains unclear whether or not he made it back to shore.
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