A frenzied overnight search ended in tragedy Saturday morning when authorities found the body of a 17-year-old Orlando swimmer who had gone missing the night before in the seas off Daytona Beach.
Amareon Anthony, a teenager, was identified by Volusia County Beach Safety. According to agency officials, another swimmer discovered Anthony’s body on the ocean shore at 9 a.m. on Saturday, in the same location where he had vanished Friday night. The swimmer immediately called 911, triggering a quick response from beach safety lifeguards and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The event occurred Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. on a section of beach just north of International Speedway Boulevard. According to beach safety officials, Anthony was swimming with a female buddy when a lifeguard spotted both adolescents fighting against a strong rip current. While rescuers dragged the young woman from the sea, Anthony vanished beneath the surface.
In the immediate aftermath, 18 lifeguards formed a line and searched the water for the teen. As dusk fell, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Coast Guard took command of the operation, stationing helicopters and ground teams at the local pier throughout the night.
Anthony’s death was part of a particularly perilous Friday on Volusia County beaches, caused by severe water conditions and unstable weather. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood reported that emergency workers had already rescued over 200 people from the ocean by 9 p.m. on Friday.
Earlier that day, beach safety personnel responded to a different emergency on Daytona Beach, where a 60-year-old man was discovered motionless in the surf. He was eventually pronounced deceased.
The risks went beyond the water and onto the beach as well. According to Volusia County Beach Safety officials, a lifeguard was brought to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after being struck by lightning indirectly.
The strike happened as the lifeguard was busy assisting a woman on the beach. Officials said the lifeguard is expected to recover.
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