The victim has now been named as Michael Gourzong (24) from Newlands, Bodden Town District.

From RCIPS: Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 10:11 AM

Just after 6PM last night, 29 June, the 9-1-1 Communications Centre received a call regarding a person in distress in the water off Spotts Dock. Three men had been swimming and snorkeling in the water near the reef; two had returned to shore when the waves and current had grown stronger, but the third man, age 24, had not.

Within fifteen minutes a Port Authority vessel, which was the nearest marine asset to the location, crewed by both the Port Authority and police, was on the scene. Uniform officers and marine officers also responded to the location. The police helicopter and crew, including the only available pilot, not on duty at the time, responded to the emergency callout and arrived to the location at 7:00pm. An extensive grid-pattern search following the current and drift pattern and up to a mile offshore, encompassing the entire coast and reef line west of Spotts Beach, was conducted jointly by both the Port Authority vessel and the police helicopter. However, the missing man was not seen.

The police marine vessel Niven D searched the area throughout the night. At daylight the search resumed by the Niven D and the police helicopter, along with police rescue divers and a police-manned Waverunner.

Just before 9:30AM this morning, the body of the missing man was found near a private dock close to shore just south of Spotts Beach by the police-manned Waverunner.

The RCIPS expresses its profound condolences to the family of the victim, who are being provided with support from a RCIPS Family Liaison officer.