Body recovered about 16 miles northeast of Fort Pierce Inlet; authorities work to ID

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The body of a man thought to be more than 50 years old was recovered Monday about 16 miles northeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office reported it helped the U.S. Coast Guard recover the body of the man, who appeared to weigh 200 to 225 pounds, in a 6:23 p.m. Monday social media post.

The man’s clothing and physical characteristics do not match those of Virgil Price, 39, who was free diving Sunday about 13 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet and didn’t resurface. The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday evening suspended a search for Price.

The Sheriff’s Office stated it has no missing person reports in St. Lucie County matching the description of the body recovered Monday.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead on this investigation, and they’re working with the medical examiner to determine cause and approximate time of death,” the Sheriff’s Office stated via social media. “The body does not appear to have been in the water for an extended period of time.”

No other information was immediately available Tuesday.

What's that smell?: Smoky smell likely blowing in from fires in western St. Lucie County

Deadly shooting in Fort Pierce: 37-year-old man fatally shot over the weekend, police said

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Body recovered in ocean off Fort Pierce Inlet