TAMPA, Fla. — Multiple agencies were searching for a man Saturday who entered the water near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on the Pinellas County side and did not resurface. As of 9:30 p.m. Saturday, he has not been found.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said rescue crews launched from a nearby marina and were on scene. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers also helped with search and rescue operations alongside the PCSO, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
WATCH: Man missing after entering water near Skyway Bridge: PCSO
Man missing after entering water near Skyway Bridge: PCSO
Meanwhile, beachgoers just north of the North Fishing Pier saw everything unfold firsthand. That included Tony Kurtanick and his family from Parrish.
“I heard one police boat pulling somebody over, but there’s a large presence of helicopters in the air,” Kurtanick said.
He said the area is normally quiet on weekends and filled with locals trying to escape nearby crowded beaches.
Those helicopters Kurtanick and others saw provided an eagle-eye view of the water during the search for the man.
Officials have not identified him, nor provided any updates on who they might be looking for.
A fisherman Tampa Bay 28’s Barrett Tryon spoke to, who didn’t want to talk on camera, said crews had been searching the area northwest of the bridge for several hours.
Tampa Bay 28 crews saw several boats zoning in on a stretch of water off the west shore for much of the afternoon.
While reports of people going missing in the water do happen, officials stress that it is not a daily occurrence. They do want to remind people to be prepared in case of an emergency as the weather warms up and more people are out and about.
As of Saturday evening, there has been no update from officials on the man’s status.
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