FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A man's body was found while search crews were looking for a diver who went missing over the weekend off of Florida's east coast, however, he's reportedly not the person they are looking for.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 39-year-old Virgil Price was free diving Sunday morning about nine miles off Jensen Beach in St. Lucie County, not far from Port St. Lucie, near a World War II shipwreck.
On Tuesday, a Facebook post from the St. Lucie County Sherriff's Office reported that crews recovered a man from the water about 16 miles northeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet.
Upon further investigation, deputies said the man does not match the physical characteristics or clothing of Price. The unidentified man is said to weigh between 200-225 pounds and is about over 50 years old.
The body is believed not to have been in the water for a long time, deputies said.
"Sheriff Keith Pearson and the men and women of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife to assist with both investigations. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both individuals involved in these investigations," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The Coast Guard is leading this new death investigation and is working to determine the cause and time of death.
In a post on X Monday evening, the Coast Guard said they were suspending the search for Price after searching over 1,415 miles and 36 hours for him.
“The decision to suspend an active search is never taken lightly. We extend our sincerest condolences to Mr. Price’s family,” said Lieutenant Commander John Beal, in a statement.
