BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — The body of a 39-year-old man was recovered from the Bradenton River Saturday after deputies said he slipped under the water while yelling for help a day earlier.
Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were called Friday morning to assist with a trespassing complaint along the Bradenton River near the intersection of 53rd Avenue East and 56th Court East.
When deputies arrived, they found 39-year-old Shaun Wear, wading, waist-deep in the river.
According to MCSO, Wear did not seem to be in distress at first and identified himself to deputies. Authorities said Wear was known to law enforcement from his previous criminal history.
As deputies encouraged Wear to come to shore, he allegedly told deputies he did not want to go to jail. As deputies were getting ready to enter the water, Wear “said something about the current” and yelled for help before slipping beneath the surface.
Search and rescue crews searched the area for hours, believing Wear may have resurfaced somewhere else along the river.
On Saturday, deputies said Wear’s body was found floating in the river just north of the SR 70 bridge, roughly 400 yards from where he was last seen.
Detectives found no evidence of trauma and the Medical Examiners Office has ruled the death an accidental drowning.
