PALM HARBOR, FL — A missing Zephyrhills boater was found deceased Sunday morning in Lake Tarpon following a multi-day search involving several agencies. The 22-year-old had been missing since Friday evening.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said David Christopher Wilson Jr. was located at approximately 7:12 a.m. Sunday, September 27, and his body was recovered from the lake.
The search began Friday evening after deputies responded to Lansbrook Lakefront Park in Palm Harbor, where an unoccupied 18-foot Carolina Skiff was found drifting near Juniper Bay.
Investigators learned Wilson, an employee at Boat and Motor Supercenters, had taken the vessel onto Lake Tarpon around 5:15 p.m. Friday for a test drive following engine repairs but never returned.
Deputies conducted aerial and marine searches Friday evening. Recovery efforts continued throughout Saturday before resuming Sunday morning.
The Sheriff’s Office said the incident appears to be accidental. The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Wilson’s next of kin has been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICES
