Sanibel officials announced the search for a missing teen who went swimming near Blind Pass has turned into a search and recovery mission.
The search was called off Wednesday evening due to weather. However, first responders reportedly went back out in the water Thursday morning.
The Sanibel Fire Department said that around lunchtime on Tuesday, three teenagers were swimming in the water near the beach.
Authorities reportedly were able to rescue a teen boy and a teen girl after a strong outgoing tide swept them far out into the Gulf of Mexico.
The third swimmer is still nowhere to be found.
It is a joint effort to find that missing 17-year-old.
The Sanibel Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Office and the Coast Guard are all helping with the investigation.
Sanibel Police Chief William Dalton released the following statement:
“It’s been 48 hours since the swimmer who entered the water at Blind Pass has gone missing. The Sanibel Police Department and other local agency partners have moved into a search and recovery operation.
The thoughts of the entire Sanibel community are with the family and friends of the young man during this difficult time.”
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