Coast Guard Finds Body During Search For Family Missing Off SW Florida
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SARASOTA (CBSMiami) – The U.S. Coast Guard said they have recovered a body while searching for a missing family off the coast of Florida.
"It's with a heavy heart that we announce that at about 4:30 this afternoon one of our Coast Guard helicopters located a deceased person in the search area," said Capt. Gregory Case with the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday.
They've been searching for the Sarasota family missing after their 29-foot sailboat disappeared while traveling to Fort Myers.
Officials have identified the family as the Kimberlys. The father Ace, his 13 and 15 year old sons, Danny and Roger, and 17 year old daughter Becky left Sarasota Sunday at around 7 a.m. and have not been heard from since.
#USCG search-and-rescue crews continue to search for missing family west of Sanibel Island, FL. pic.twitter.com/0LLfphBwGJ
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 22, 2016
The last time anyone heard from the family was Sunday afternoon when the father called his brother and told him they were struggling with rough weather off Englewood – about 30 miles south of Sarasota.
"A storm came through and it was 6-foot seas that he was experiencing on Sunday afternoon and a lot of rain and wind and that's all we know for sure," Case explained.
Wednesday's search also turned up debris believed to belong to the family.
The Coast Guard held a press conference to talk about what they had found.
"A tarp, there were four water bottles I believed tied together, one or two tennis shoes, a basketball, a propane tank and six life jackets," Case said.
Personal items located off the coast of Sanibel, Florida, believed to belong to missing family. pic.twitter.com/rCjvJzD3zk
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 22, 2016
The boat reportedly has no name and no radio on board.
Rescue crews plan to continue searching for the other three other family members.
"This is still an ongoing rescue and we still have three person out there that we're still trying to locate and we still have hope for that," Case said.
