Officials say teen was with friends in rough waters off Fort Lauderdale Beach
A teenager who went missing while swimming off Fort Lauderdale Beach was found dead Friday evening in what police said appeared to be an accidental drowning.
Officials said the teen was swimming with friends in rough waters when they ran into trouble. Lifeguards rescued the friends but the teen wasn't immediately found.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said its dive team recovered the teen's body just after 8 p.m., nearly three and a half hours after authorities were first called to the area near the 800 block of Seabreeze Boulevard.
The teen's identity has not been released.
The Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue initially responded to the call shortly after 4:30 p.m. and began searching the water.
The police department later joined the effort and confirmed around 7 p.m. that its dive team had taken over the underwater search.
While the drowning appears to be accidental, police said a death investigation will be conducted, as is standard procedure.
