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Authorities recover body of missing boater in Lake Thonotosassa

 
Published July 20, 2017

THONOTOSASSA — Authorities on Thursday recovered the body of a 44-year-old Plantation man who went missing while boating on Lake Thonotosassa.

Searchers in a boat spotted the body of Juan Luis Linares near the surface shortly before 9 a.m., said Officer Brian Norris, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday from a witness who spotted a small boat with no one in it, Norris said. The witness reported seeing someone in the water near the 17-foot boat.

"He was out in the middle of the lake so they were unable to do anything," Norris said.

FWC and Sheriff's Office crews searched by boat and helicopter and dive teams from both agencies scanned beneath the surface until dusk. Personnel in a Sheriff's Office boat discovered Linares' body closer to the shoreline of the 840-acre lake shortly after the search resumed Thursday.

Investigators were working to determine how Linares ended up in the water and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner was conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Linares had purchased the boat, which featured a tiller-steered motor, earlier this month, Norris said.

The lake is roughly 12 feet at its deepest point.

Contact Tony Marrero at tmarrero@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3374. Follow @tmarrerotimes.