Body of swimmer missing off Florida is found with traumatic injury, searchers say

The search for a missing swimmer off the Florida Panhandle took an unexpected turn when a body was discovered with severe injuries, searchers say.

Investigators identified the man as Cristobal R. Artega, 21, of Houston, Texas. Specifics about the nature of his injuries have not been released.

Destin Fire Rescue says the discovery was made early Sunday, June 12.

“The body of the missing swimmer was found this morning West of Crab Island,” Destin Fire Rescue said in a Facebook post. “He appeared to have suffered from a traumatic injury.”

Artega went missing Saturday, June 11, and the search included firefighters, Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputies and a dive team from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The commission is leading an investigation into Artega’s death, officials said.

“Preliminary information indicates that occupants on a pontoon boat reported that one of their friends, identified as Cristobal R. Artega ... jumped from the vessel and did not resurface,” FWC officials told McClatchy News.

Yellow flags had been posted on Destin’s beaches Saturday, which means water conditions were rough, with “potentially high surf or dangerous currents and undertows.”

It is the second time since Memorial Day weekend a death has occurred off Crab Island, a sandbar “at the southern entrance of the Choctawhatchee Bay,” according to Destin Vacation Boat Rentals.

On May 29, a man dove into the water to make repairs to a rented pontoon boat and was swept away by the current, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The sandbar is a popular gathering spot for swimmers, but is considered dangerous due to heavy boat traffic, strong currents and sudden drop-offs, the sheriff’s office says. Multiple people die at the site each year.

This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Body of swimmer missing off Florida is found with traumatic injury, searchers say."