Body of missing swimmer recovered, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office says

The body of a missing swimmer was recovered Friday near the John’s Pass Bridge, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Members of the agency’s marine unit and dive team found the body of 22-year-old Ritvik Dammoju, of Virginia, about a half-mile west of the bridge around 8 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities had been searching for Dammoju since around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. Deputies had been called to the John’s Pass area of Madeira Beach in response to reports of four people struggling to swim, the agency said in a news release Friday. According to deputies, the swimmers were about 100 yards west of the swim buoys near the John’s Pass area.

Three of the four swimmers were rescued by two paddleboarders, the Sheriff’s Office said, but Dammoju, who was continuing to struggle, was further west.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office’s marine unit, flight unit and dive team searched for Dammoju, along with personnel from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the United States Coast Guard.

The incident does not appear suspicious, deputies said. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.

This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.