Man jumps off boat to get hat and vanishes. Body found 2 days later, Florida cops say

The body of a 22-year-old boater has been recovered nearly two days after he jumped in Florida’s Lake Jackson to get a hat, according to searchers.

Omar Gutierrez-Gomez was visiting the lake from nearby Hardee County when he went missing shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, May 11, the Sebring Fire Department said. Sebring is about a 95-mile drive southeast of Tampa.

“Mr. Gutierrez-Gomez jumped off a boat to retrieve his hat from the lake, and unfortunately never resurfaced,” the Sebring Police Department reported May 13.

“After nearly 36 hours of search and recovery efforts, Mr. Gutierrez-Gomez’ body was ultimately recovered by first responders.”

The body was found early Monday, May 13, officials said.

His death is being investigated as a boating accident, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is taking the lead, officials said.

“This is a heartbreaking end for this family as well as everyone involved in the search efforts,” the Sebring Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “This is a sad reminder that a day on the boat can change in an instant.”

Lake Jackson is a 9,212-acre freshwater lake that is “25 feet at its deepest,” Visitsebring.com reports. “Most of the area is fairly shallow,” the site says.