MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — The body of a missing Virginia man was located Friday morning off Johns Pass in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ritvik Dammoju, 22, and three other people went out Wednesday evening and, at some point, began struggling to swim, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The four were said to be about a football field west of the swim buoys near Johns Pass.
The swimmers caught the attention of some paddleboarders who helped to rescue them. However, Dammoju was farther west from the group and continued to be in distress, the sheriff's office said.
Teams from the sheriff's office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard began a search shortly thereafter.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, Dammoju's body was found about a half-mile west of the Johns Pass Bridge, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies say the situation involving the swimmers does not appear to be suspicious, however, an investigation is ongoing.