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Body of boy, 9, missing nearly two days, found near Fort De Soto

 
Krystal Naar, mother of Cameron Bullard (inset), speaks to reporters Sunday on St. Pete Beach. She said Cameron was "so sweet" and was a great big brother to his youngest siblings.
Krystal Naar, mother of Cameron Bullard (inset), speaks to reporters Sunday on St. Pete Beach. She said Cameron was "so sweet" and was a great big brother to his youngest siblings.
Published Oct. 6, 2015

ST. PETE BEACH — The search for a 9-year-old boy who was swept away by a strong current as he played in ankle-deep water came to a close Monday morning, the Pinellas Sheriff's Office said.

Cameron Bullard's body was found along the shore of Shell Key Preserve's northern coast, less than 2 miles from where he disappeared from St. Pete Beach on Saturday.

His mother, Krystal Naar, said she knew the first night of the search that Cameron was gone, that God was showing her signs — rays of light breaking through the stony sky, a golden lining to the clouds.

"When I was there, I was seeing different things where I feel like God was speaking to me and showing me things. When we left the beach, I pretty much knew," she said Monday, still in shock.

"Every time I prayed, it would rain on me."

Sheriff's boats found Cameron's body about 8:30 a.m. Monday, about an hour and a half after beginning the day's search.

Authorities brought him to the Pass-a-Grille Marina.

"You really have a lot of emotions because first and foremost, to some extent, you're glad that there can be closure," said Sgt. Glenn Wilson, a sheriff's dive team supervisor.

On Saturday, Cameron was at St. Pete Beach with his aunt and uncle, six siblings and a cousin. The children were playing along the shore when a wave knocked them down. They resurfaced, but Cameron disappeared below the water. Beachgoers rushed to save him but couldn't reach him.

Authorities shifted rescue efforts toward a recovery operation Sunday afternoon, concentrating their search south of the beach access ramp at 18th Avenue and Gulf Way, where Cameron was last seen. Sheriff's boats and a helicopter examined the water. Deputies tried using sonar, but the water "was churning up so badly that it couldn't be used," Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted with search efforts.

The surf was so strong and weather so blustery over the weekend that waves crashed into sheriff's boats, nearly knocking them over, Wilson said Monday.

"I was just at a loss when he was lost," said Naar, 33. "My prayer was to bring me my baby, and he did."

During the family's beach day Saturday, Cameron's aunt and uncle did a head count of the children every few minutes as they played along the shore.

"It's a very, very sad accident. The wave crashed up, he went down and got swept away," Gualtieri said. "There's nothing that they could have done differently."

Cameron, shy but confident, would bring animals home to his mother — ducks, turtles, a kitten. He read the Bible and walked down the alley to Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church whenever he could.

"The whole church knew him," his mother said.

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An honor student in the fourth grade at Gulf Beaches Elementary, Cameron harbored a love for science and snacks.

"I had to do a lot of cooking for Mr. Cameron," Naar said, laughing.

He wanted to be a police officer when he grew up, she said.

"If I had them all lined up and asked Cameron what happened, Cameron would tell the truth," said his grandmother, Virginia Robinson. "He was sweet, smart and very helpful."

Cameron, the middle child, looked after his siblings. As family and friends gathered Monday at Naar's home, the children played but would slip into breakdowns, their mother said.

For Naar, who generally maintains a sense of order, the last few days have felt out of control, she said. She still hasn't seen Cameron.

"I think once I see him, it will be different," she said.

Before the wake and the funeral, the family is planning a private visit to the island where Cameron was found.

After that, they'll hold a public candlelight vigil at the place where he disappeared.

Contact Laura Morel at lmorel@tampabay.com, Claire McNeill at cmcneill@tampabay.com and Zachary T. Sampson at zsampson@tampabay.com.