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Teen Drowns in Trout River; One Man Missing in Julington Creek

By
Jared Halpern, Reporter
@ August 17, 2009 12:00 PM
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A 16-year-old's body was pulled from the Trout River late Sunday night, ending the search for teen who fell into the water while fishing near Main Street. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has identified the teenager as Ladre McNeal of Jacksonville.

Rescue crews have also called off a separate search for a man who fell off a small boat in Julington Creek.  Police say that man is 29 year old Shane Wiggins of Jacksonville.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Sheriff's Office rushed to the Trout River near Main Street around 4:30 Sunday afternoon after reports the teen fell in the water trying to retrieve a bait box near rocks and never surfaced.

Dive teams found McNeal's body before 10 p.m. and said the drowning is still under investigation.

Around 5 p.m. another possible drowning sent teams from the Coast Guard, Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, Clay County Sheriff's Office and St. Johns County Sheriff's Office to Julington Creek near the St. Johns County line.
Bujeda says a man and woman were fishing in a small boat when the man fell off the boat and never came up from the water.

Divers were using sonar to located the victim, but crews called off the search after night fell, according to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office public information officer Melissa Bujeda.

"The south end of the river was extremely choppy, extremely rough," Bujeda said. "Whether that was a factor, we don't know. But we're thinking that was a factor for why all these incidents occurred."

Two boaters are recovering after their air boat sank earlier in the day in the Trout River near Zoo Parkway. Both people on board the vessel escaped serious injury, but the boat sank after an accident that investigators continue looking into.



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