ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A teen boy’s body was found after officials reported him missing two days ago after a canoe capsized in an Orange County lake.
The sheriff’s office identified the teen as 17-year-old Eduardo Duarte on Wednesday, March 18.
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The backstory:
Deputies responded to a report of a capsized canoe around 1 p.m. on Monday.
According to a preliminary investigation, four teens were canoeing on Lake Jessamine when the boat overturned. Three teens were rescued, but a fourth, Duarte, could not be found.
The students attended Forest Lake Academy in Apopka.
Missing boy found over 24 hours later
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The sheriff’s office and Orange County Fire Rescue used multiple boats to search the water and the shoreline to find Duarte. The search continued on Tuesday.
“We are mourning his loss and extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to his family,” the agency said in a release on Wednesday.
What they’re saying:
The Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists released a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying,
“We are heartbroken for the student’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss. We ask that you continue to uphold them in your prayers. Please also pray for the students involved in the accident, the FLA students as they return from spring break, and the entire FLA community.”
“Forest Lake Academy is actively preparing to have a robust support system in place, including counselors and pastors, for our students, teachers, and staff as they return to school next week and process this tragedy,” the statement said.
What we don’t know:
Details surrounding what led to Duarte’s death weren’t released at this time.
The sheriff’s office said the case is still open while investigators wait to receive autopsy results.
The Source: This story was written with information released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and previous FOX 35 reporting.