The multi-agency search for 29-year-old Donte Wanton of Savannah, Georgia, who disappeared while swimming near Huguenot Memorial Park on Saturday, July 11, has been transferred to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search Sunday morning.
First Coast News, which interviewed Wanton's family, reported he was visiting friends in the Jacksonville area when the incident occurred.
JSO patrol units responded to the 10000 block of Heckscher Drive after receiving a report of a possible drowning. Authorities said around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, three adult swimmers were caught in what JSO described as an undertow off Huguenot Memorial Park. Two of the swimmers were rescued by bystanders. According to the Coast Guard, Wanton was last seen wearing pink shorts and holding onto a red buoy before disappearing beneath the water.
Crews from the Coast Guard, JSO's Marine Unit, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission searched about three square miles by air, land and water before the Coast Guard suspended its active search pending new information. JSO will lead any future search or recovery efforts and continue the investigation.
The search has also drawn support from the community. Campers at Huguenot Memorial Park reported seeing fishermen, paddleboarders and other recreational boaters continuing to watch the water, with some fishermen using spotlights after dark in hopes of helping locate the missing swimmer.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
