St. Lucie County - Tuesday May 14, 2024: Late Monday afternoon the St. Lucie County Sheriff's (SLCSO) Marine Unit was called out to assist the U.S. Coast Guard recover the body of a white male.
The clothing and physical appearance of the dead man do not match the description of the free-diver who went missing Sunday morning. The search for that man, 39-year-old Virgil Price of West Palm Beach, was suspended by the Coast Guard Monday night.
The SLC Sheriff reports that the body was recovered offshore about 16 miles NE of the Fort Pierce Inlet. The body weighs between 200 and 225 pounds, and the man appears to have been over 50 years of age. The body does not appear to have been in the water for an extended period of time.
The identity of the dead man is not yet known. No missing person report has been filed in St. Lucie County that matches the description of the body that was recovered, states the release from SLCSO.
The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency investigating this case. They will be working with the medical examiner to determine the cause, and approximate time of death.