Teenager dies while swimming off Fort Lauderdale, police say
-1.jpg "A teenage boy died swimming in the ocean off Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon, April 18, 2025, according to police. Police divers found his body Friday night.")
Police divers found the body of a teenage boy who disappeared late Friday afternoon while swimming in the ocean off Fort Lauderdale.
The divers found the boy shortly after 8 p.m., said Casey Liening, a Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman. She said the cause of death appears to be accidental drowning, but police will conduct a death investigation.
The boy, who has not been identified, disappeared in the water around 4:30 p.m. near Lifeguard Tower 3 at 800 Seabreeze Boulevard, said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesman Frank Guzman.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, Broward Sheriff’s Office firefighters, Fort Lauderdale police and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the boy, Guzman said.
The fire department ended its search and turned the operation over to police and the Coast Guard, Guzman said.
Rescuers used two fire boats, a helicopter and personal watercraft to look for the boy, as well as personnel on the beach, Guzman said.
Lifeguards, who end their shifts at 6 p.m., were on duty when the boy disappeared, said Guzman. The surf conditions were rough on Friday, with the National Weather Service issuing rip-current warnings. Guzman said lifeguards performed several water rescues throughout the day.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 9:31 PM.
