POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Multiple agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Polk County Fire Rescue, were actively searching Lake McLeod for an 18-year-old Eagle Lake man who went missing Sunday afternoon.
“After searching throughout the night, Marine Unit deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office located Aaron Tillman, deceased, at about 5:12 this morning, in an area of Lake McLeod that was about 13-feet deep. Please continue to keep his family and friends in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
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Aaron Tillman, a student at Ambassadors Christian Academy and a member of the football and wrestling teams, was reportedly kayaking with a 19-year-old woman when he disappeared in the water.
According to the woman, neither of them were wearing life jackets when she decided to jump in for a swim. Upon resurfacing, she saw Tillman struggling in the water. Despite attempts by her and a nearby witness to rescue him, Tillman went under and did not resurface.
Family members stated that Tillman could not swim and had no prior experience with kayaks.
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