WFLA

Body recovered from Lake Gibson may be missing boater

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) –Divers in Polk County have recovered what may be the body of a boater who went missing in Lake Gibson Saturday evening.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said Sunday evening “with great sadness” that they had located and recovered a body near the area where 32-year-old Cornelius Wiggins disappeared.

Officials say Wiggins had jumped into the water around 5:30 pm to find a pair of sunglasses someone had dropped.

The boat’s driver, Julie Bryant, threw him a floatation device and jumped in and tried to help him, but Wiggins did not resurface, officials say.

The FWC says another woman was on the boat at the time of the incident.

Multiple agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Lakeland Police Department helped recover the body.

The FWC tells us they’re working with Wiggins’ family to positively identify the body.

STORIES OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:

BACK TO TOP STORIES