Missing boater’s body found in Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. - The body of a 22-year-old man who disappeared after friends say he jumped off a boat on Lake Jackson on Saturday evening has been found. 

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the body of Hardee County resident Omar Gutierrez-Gomez was located on Monday morning. 

Friends say Guiterrez-Gomez jumped off the boat shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday to get his hat from the lake and never came back up. 

The Sebring Fire Department says it was working on a structure fire when the call for help came in. The fire department split its resources and sent a crew to Station 15 to put Boat 15 in service at Veterans Beach Boat Ramp. 

Crews from multiple agencies searched for the missing boater on Saturday evening and Sunday. After 36 hours, Guiterrez-Gomez was found dead on Monday morning.  

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In addition to FWC and SFD, the Sebring Police Department, the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Frostproof Fire Department assisted in the search.

In a social media post, the Sebring Fire Department stated, "This is a heartbreaking end for this family as well as everyone involved in the search efforts. This is a sad reminder that a day on the boat can change in an instant."  

In a statement, the FWC said it would like to express its sympathies to Guiterrez-Gomez’s friends and family. 

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