ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, FL (WSIL) � Crews are searching for a 22-year-old Carterville native who went missing while swimming in St. Augustine, FL over the weekend.
Authorities have identified the swimmer as Jacob Emanuel Turner from Tampa, Fla. He was last seen entering the water around 4:25 p.m. on Sunday about a half-mile from the St. Augustine Beach Pier near 14th Street according to in Jacksonville, Fla. He was described to be a blonde man wearing gray shorts.
St. Augustine Police Chief Robert Hardwick says Turner was on vacation in the area with his two friends who were in the water with him when he was pulled out into the ocean.Â
First responders from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Fire and Rescue, St. Augustine Police Department and the Coast Guard searched Monday for Turner from the shore and by air. Chief Hardwick says the current was too rough to take boats out to search on the water.Â
It’s not clear yet how long they’ll continue to search.
His family, who isn’t from Tampa, was notified about his disappearance.
There were 13 total water rescue calls on Sunday alone along the St. Augustine beaches, according to Chuck Mulligan with the sheriff’s office. An older man nearly drowned around 3:30 p.m. He was given CPR and rushed to Flagler Hospital with serious injuries.
