The body of a 19-year-old college student was recovered from a Florida lake Thursday, the day after he fell overboard during a boating trip with friends.
Authorities pulled Graham McGrath from the murky waters of Lake Como around 11:20 a.m., concluding a frantic 16-hour search for the missing teen.
“We hoped and prayed that he was found in good health,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a news conference. “Unfortunately, that was not the case.”
Marceno said no crime was suspected at this time, but it hasn’t been ruled out either.
McGrath fell over the side of a sailboat shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday while enjoying the lake with 13 friends.
Lake Como, located approximately 16 miles southeast of Fort Myers, adjoins Florida Gulf Coast University, where McGrath studied and served as a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
He was the only FGCU student aboard the private boat, which had the capacity to carry 16 people.
How the 19-year-old “fell off the boat” and “never came back” has yet to be determined.
College student Graham McGrath died Wednesday after falling overboard during a boating trip with friends.@SheriffLeeFL/Twitter
“I can tell you that they were swimming, they were recreating, like we want Floridians to do,” Marceno said.
“It’s a very, very unfortunate situation and accident.”
Rescuers scoured the lake overnight but had difficulty discerning objects in the “zero visibility” muddy waters that have dramatic drops of up to 30 feet, according to the sheriff.
Investigators searched the water for 16 hours before finding McGrath’s body. Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK
Officials used helicopters and diving equipment, as well as sonar technology, to locate McGrath, who was eventually found 1,000 feet offshore.
It is not yet clear what the teen’s cause of death is, but authorities said there were no physical signs of trauma on his body.
Marceno quickly dispelled theories that McGrath was struck by a boat propeller, recently leading to the tragic death of New York publishing executive Adrienne Vaughan during a family vacation in Italy.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno said foul play has not yet been ruled out. Lee County Sheriff’s Office
It is also being investigated whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the tragic accident.
The county medical examiner will conduct toxicology reports as part of the autopsy, Marceno said.
The 13 friends who were on board when McGrath slipped below the surface are also being questioned, but appear to be cooperating.
Officials used boats, helicopters, diving equipment and sonar technology to find McGrath’s body. Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK
McGrath was a student at Florida Gulf Coast University and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK
“I will tell you that everything we do is suspicious in nature and until we prove otherwise, we treat everything as suspicious,” Marceno told reporters.
According to his fraternity, McGrath was only a week away from celebrating his 20th birthday.
“Graham was loved by our entire Fraternity, along with his friends and family,” Pi Kappa Alpha wrote on Instagram.
“Graham had a kind soul and everyone could see his smile. The ambitious character of him and the gravitating personality of him were able to show what it means to be a true PIKE… We love you, Graham”.
The FGCU, which is in its second week of school, is offering free counseling services in the aftermath of the tragedy.
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