MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The body of an Indianapolis man who disappeared while attempting to retrieve his boat in Florida has been recovered.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, a dive team located the body of 74-year-old James Mark Summers on Dec. 13. Summers, a seasonal Florida resident from Indianapolis, was reported missing the night before. Family members said he went by “Mark.”
According to police, the incident happened at the Hosford Park boat launch when Summers tried to launch the vessel into the water. However, the boat broke loose and drifted into the water.
Summers swam to the boat and tried to climb aboard to stop it from moving farther away. A family member told investigators Summers grabbed the side of the boat, slipped back into the water and didn’t resurface.
Multiple agencies searched for him on the night of Dec. 12 and resumed the next. However, murky water, “zero visibility,” debris and alligators made the search challenging, authorities said.
Searchers using a special piece of sonar equipment found Summers’ body in approximately 12 feet of water about 50 yards from the dock where he was last seen. A dive team recovered his remains just before noon Dec. 13.
