A 20-year-old Indian student, Abhigyan Patel, was confirmed dead after drowning at Bean Point Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida, over the Labour Day weekend.
Patel’s body was recovered on Monday following an extensive search operation involving the US Coast Guard, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Longboat Key Police, Holmes Beach Police, and West Manatee Fire & Rescue.
Patel was last seen swimming with another man shortly before 7 p.m. on Sunday. While his companion was rescued, Patel was swept away by strong currents. He was visiting the island with four fellow students from a Lakeland aviation school.
The incident has prompted city officials to establish a temporary “no-swim zone” at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, an area known for its strong rip currents where Tampa Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico.
Mayor Mark Short said the decision followed several recent rescues and two fatalities in August alone.
“The currents here are powerful, and even though the water may appear calm, it can quickly sweep swimmers away,” said Sgt. Russell Schnering of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit.
Search teams covered nearly 172 square miles, with aerial and sea patrols braving 10-knot winds and one-foot seas. Cmdr. Fredrick Pugh of the Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg offered condolences to Patel’s family and thanked the rescue crews for their relentless efforts.
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