MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Thursday morning, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of a 32-year-old Citrus Springs boater who went missing earlier this week.
Deputies were first dispatched around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday after a boat was seen drifting on Lake Weir.
Investigators say preliminary information indicates Joseph Evan Cruz and three children were on the water when he and two of the kids went swimming. At some point, their boat began to float away. So, one of the kids went and retrieved the boat.
When the one child drove the boat back over, Cruz was nowhere to be found. His body was located at 7:15 a.m. Thursday following a search that included help from Lake County deputies and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
While cause of death has not been officially determined, investigators say they believe he drowned. A detective has been assigned to look into the circumstances surrounding his death.
