POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 17-year-old has been found dead after a Jet Ski accident Sunday night, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say 17-year-old Jose Torres and his passenger, 15-year-old Mekhi Guillaume, were riding the watercraft on Lake Clinch in Frostproof when Torres took an abrupt turn.
Both teens were thrown into the water.
Guillaume, who was wearing a lifejacket, was able to swim back to the Jet Ski, but he could not find Torres, according to the sheriff's office. Torres was reportedly not wearing a lifejacket.
The 15-year-old immediately alerted people nearby to call 911, prompting the sheriff's office, the Frostproof Fire Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to respond around 8:20 p.m.
Marine units from the sheriff's office began searching the lake, eventually locating Torres' body with an underwater drone just after midnight in about 20 feet of water.
According to the sheriff's office, it appears Torres drowned, but a medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine his exact cause of death.
Torres was a welding student at Ridge Technical College in Winter Haven.
"Our hearts hurt today for this loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Jose's family and loved ones. This is a tragic accident and a stark reminder that life jackets save lives," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "Please, when out on the water, wear a life jacket. It could save your life."
Pinellas County Schools sent the following statement in reaction to the news:
We are deeply saddened to hear the tragic news that Jose Liborio Torres died in a jet ski accident on Lake Clinch in Frostproof.
Jose was a student at Ridge Technical College, where he studied welding. He had previously attended Frostproof Middle-Senior.
We are heartbroken with his sudden passing, and our prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.