Body of Florida boy, 9, recovered after he fell into lake, hit by boat propeller: 'Unimaginable nightmare'

The body of a 9-year-old boy was recovered Tuesday from a lake in Florida after he fell from a boat and was struck by its propeller over the weekend, authorities said.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced the boy's body was found at Lake Annie near Dundee and that his family has been notified.

The search first began immediately after the incident happened around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, the sheriff's office said.

The boy was with his two brothers on their father’s pontoon when he fell over the front of the vessel and was struck by the boat’s propeller. His father dove into the water after him while another son called 911 for help.

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"It’s a tragedy, and an unimaginable nightmare for the family of the boy," Sheriff Grady Judd said Monday as the search was ongoing.

Deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue crews had immediately responded to the lake and launched boats in search of the missing child. 

Judd said that authorities initially recovered the boy's shirt, which was found wrapped around the boat's propeller.

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The sheriff’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team, marine, aviation, and drone units were all involved in the search for the boy, the agency said. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office also took part in the search and recovery efforts.

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The boy was not wearing a personal flotation device when he fell into the water, according to the sheriff’s office, which added that he was not required to wear one by law.