PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Authorities have recovered the body of a 63-year-old man from the waters south of Maximo Park on Sunday afternoon, ending a massive search effort that spanned two days.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that dive teams located Tony Le at a depth of about 19 feet around 3:27 p.m.
The incident began Saturday morning near channel marker 18. According to investigators, Le was boating with his family at approximately 11:35 a.m. and was sitting at the back of the vessel while it traveled at roughly 10 miles per hour.
At some point, Le fell overboard. His family realized he was missing, immediately turned the boat around, and jumped into the water to find him. Other nearby boaters also rushed to help, but Le never resurfaced.
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A multi-agency response followed, involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife, Eckerd College, and local fire rescue units. While Le was reportedly wearing a life jacket when the boat first launched, detectives noted he appeared to have taken it off before he went into the water. Officials also mentioned that Le had medical impairments.
The search was paused at nightfall on Saturday and shifted to a recovery operation Sunday morning. After several dives in the channel, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team finally located the body.
While the investigation remains open, sheriff’s deputies say the death appears to be a tragic accident. Next of kin have been notified.
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