Missing Boy, 9, Found Dead After He Fell in Fla. Lake and Was Hit by Boat: 'Unimaginable Nightmare'

Polk County Sheriff's Office

Officials in Florida have recovered the body of a 9-year-old boy who was struck by a pontoon boat after he fell off the vessel this weekend while out on a lake with family.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PSCO) announced Tuesday that the victim's body had been recovered following Saturday's incident on Lake Annie.

The boy was with his father and two brothers Saturday when he fell off the front of their boat and was hit by its propeller, according to a PSCO news release.

At a news conference on Monday, PSCO Sheriff Grady Judd said the father and his sons — ages 7, 9 and 12 — were enjoying some "special time" together on the boat when the incident occurred.

The dad "immediately jumped into the water" in search of his son while one of his brothers called for help, the PCSO said in Monday's release.

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Judd said the victim's shirt was found wrapped around the propeller of the boat.

He was not wearing a personal flotation device at the time of the accident, "but was not required to" by law, the PSCO said.

"It's a tragedy, and an unimaginable nightmare for the family of the boy," Judd said in Monday's release, noting that officials were utilizing "extensive resources" to locate him.

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It took deputies just three minutes to arrive at the scene at Lake Annie on Saturday, Judd said. One deputy, who lived on the lake, allowed some officers to use his boat and begin their search for the child before other first responders arrived.

Judd said Monday the search had been "taking a lot longer" than officials had hoped it would.

"We've searched nonstop since Saturday afternoon and we've still not recovered this beautiful little boy, but we won't give up," Judd said at the news conference on Monday. "We've been there 24 hours a day, and we'll stay there until we find him."

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Polk County Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office all assisted in the search efforts on Lake Annie, the sheriff's office said.

The PCSO's Marine Unit, Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USART), Aviation Unit, and Drone Units also helped.

Crews had been battling "poor visibility" in the water, which can reach 16-feet deep, Judd said in Monday's release. But crews were determined in their efforts.

"There aren't enough words to explain the angst of even the law enforcement officers, who are doing everything they can to find that little fellow so that we can recover him for the family," Judd said at the news conference on Monday.

An investigation into Saturday's incident is ongoing.