Boater calls wife as he starts taking on water, Florida cops say. Then empty vessel found

UPDATE: A dive team has found the body of 35-year-old Benjamin Godwin “after an extensive and exhaustive search effort,” according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

“His brother and other family members have spent every moment possible since Tuesday night trying to locate Ben who, they say, grew up on the bay and loved being on the water,” deputies said the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 5.

The original story is below.

An experienced boater called his wife when he knew his boat was going to sink into a Florida bay, then he disappeared, authorities said.

Benjamin Godwin’s empty boat has been found, but the 35-year-old man is still missing two days after he phoned his wife for help, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

He had launched a boat into Choctawhatchee Bay in the Florida Panhandle near Destin on Tuesday, Dec. 3, but his boat started taking on water, submerging the stern.

He told his wife what was happening and said he was going to use a bucket to stay afloat, according to Corey Dobridnia, public information officer for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Once his wife got the call from him, she dialed 911, deputies said.

When search crews found the boat later that evening, the bow was barely above water, Dobridnia told McClatchy News. The 5-gallon bucket was later recovered as well.

“He grew up on the bay and knows it well,” Dobridnia said.

But conditions were rough that night even for experienced boaters and swimmers. The water temperature was about 55 degrees with 3-foot chop in the bay, according to the sheriff’s office.

Godwin’s brother has been out looking for his brother for two days since he went missing, Dobridnia said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S Coast Guard are now the lead investigators in the incident.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 3:18 PM.