Body of man who fell overboard off charter yacht found in the Miami River, police say
.jpg "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission police said they found the body of a California man Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, who had been missing since falling from a yacht sailing on the Miami River Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.")
The body of a California man who fell from a chartered yacht making its way up the Miami River over the weekend was found floating in the water Tuesday, according to police.
Abraham Mgowano, 35, had been missing since falling from the 44-foot Sea Ray cabin cruiser around 2:30 p.m. Saturday as it headed westbound on the river near Lummus Park.
While confirming the Berkeley, California native’s body had been found, police with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the lead agency investigating the case, did not release details about where Mgowano’s corpse was discovered nor who found him.
The 12 other people on the boat told investigators they saw him go overboard and never resurface, according to the initial incident report released by the FWC.
The report states the boat operator, Eddy Espinosa Hernandez, 39, was a captain hired by the passengers. He could not be reached for comment. Police noted in their report that he “showed no signs of impairment.”
The Coast Guard suspended its search for Mgowano around 8:15 p.m. Saturday after finding no signs of him.
The hunt on the river spanned from the Flagler Street and 7th Avenue bridges, as well as the nearby coastline, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Sherbs, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.
Fish and Wildlife officers and officers with the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County continued their search this week.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Mgowano’s friends and family during this difficult time,” the FWC said in a statement. “This is an active investigation.”
