Updated at 11:12 to reflect new information.
UPD and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were called on Wednesday, Aug. 23 about a missing FGCU student after he fell overboard while on a private boat.
Authorities arrived on-scene at North Lake’s Waterfront at 7 p.m.
At 11 p.m., Sheriff Carmine Marceno met with the media. According to his statement, the missing boater was on the private vessel with 12 other occupants. At the time of the incident, the group was boating in Lake Como, the shared lake between Miromar Lakes and FGCU.
Lake Como varies in depth reaching 50 feet in some places, LCSO released in a Facebook post made Thursday morning. In some areas the lake floor drops from 10 to 20 and even 30 feet suddenly, making search efforts difficult.
Multiple agencies, such as the San Carlos Park Fire Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are working with LCSO to help locate the student.
“We have our divers in the water. And when I say our divers, it’s every single person up here, fire, FWC. We’re all in this together working, leaving no stone unturned,” Marceno said at the media briefing.
UPD Chief Jim Slapp recommends those impacted by the incident to utilize the Counseling and Psychological Services available on campus.
At 11:38 p.m., President Timur released an official statement about the missing boater in an email that was sent to all FGCU students, faculty and staff. She also encourages the use of the mental health and counseling services on campus to provide support to students, faculty, and staff.
“An FGCU student who had been on a private boat on the shared lake between Miromar Lakes Development and our university went missing on Wednesday evening. We don’t have further information to share at this time,” President Timur said in her email. “Our positive thoughts and wishes go out to his family, friends, classmates and all other Eagle family members as we wait for updated information on the search.”
The family of the student has been contacted. A name has not been disclosed at this time.
Eagle News will provide updates when available.
