The Miami Police Department has recovered the body of a man who went missing after he jumped into Biscayne Bay from a yacht and didn't resurface.
With the assistance of the Miami Fire Department, Coral Gables and their Marine Patrol Units, Miami police found the body of 21-year-old Enoch Tong in the water just west of the Rusty Pelican, authorities said.
Dive teams were searching for Tong Saturday night after police said he jumped off a yacht or charter boat into Biscayne Bay and started to struggle.
“We do know that his friends did throw life preservers they tried to help him but unfortunately, the current was just too strong,” said Lieutenant Pete Sanchez with City of Miami Fire Rescue.
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Police said Tong went under.
Several agencies began searching for the 21-year-old, including Miami-Dade Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, City of Miami Fire Rescue and Marine Patrol Units.
Now, Lt. Sanchez is offering tips for boaters.
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"We don’t know the circumstances of who they were with or the experience, but always be out with experienced boaters,” Sanchez said. "It’s a very unfortunate situation because someone today has lost their lives when they were just trying to enjoy a beautiful weekend out of the city of Miami."
On the shore, people like Keyla Castillo watched and hoped for a miracle. Castillo owns Raw Bar 2 Go, a food boat on the bay.
"Really sad and people started talking about that happened before,” Castillo said. “People get a lot of partying and it’s sad because that's my customers."
Castillo says this is not the first time she's watched law enforcement search for someone in the water.
"Around two months ago here on the bay it was a lady,” she said.
Miami Fire Rescue says there were about 13 people on the boat with Tong.
