WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A family outing turned tragic on Lake Roy in Winter Haven when 12-year-old Noah Gomez drowned while swimming with his father and younger relatives. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has confirmed the heartbreaking incident.
According to Sheriff Grady Judd, Noah’s father had taken his 9-year-old brother, Javier Gomez, and 10-year-old cousin, Gael Vaquez, out on a boat to fish and swim. The group moved to the middle of the lake, where the boys decided to swim.
“The boys wanted to go swimming, so he moved to the middle of the lake, where they jumped into the lake. Water was very rough,” Sheriff Judd explained.
Immediately, the children experienced difficulty swimming. The father managed to pull his 9-year-old son, Javier, and cousin, Gael, back into the boat. However, Noah drifted further away.
“His 12-year-old son, Noah Gomez, was drifting further and further away, or the boat was drifting further and further away from him. So he jumped into the water. Put Noah on his back, and was doing his best to swim back to the boat and was drifting away from him. Noah slipped off of his dad’s back into about 18 or 19 feet of water,” Sheriff Judd recounted.
One of the children on the boat called 911, and PCSO deputies, Winter Haven Police Department, and Polk County Fire Rescue responded. Despite an extensive search involving the PCSO Marine Unit, drones, a helicopter, and Polk County Fire Rescue boats equipped with sonar, Noah’s body was recovered from the lake.
“Noah unfortunately succumbed to drowning. However, because of this high-tech equipment in less than two hours, we were able to locate Noah in the bottom of the lake,” Sheriff Judd stated.
Sheriff Judd expressed his condolences to the family, emphasizing the father’s intent to spend quality time with his children. “Our hearts break. Because Dad was doing what Dad should do, spend time with her children. And he was doing that because good dads do that, and unfortunately, as a result of today, his son drowned. And his nine-year-old brother, Javier, is now without a brother. And his ten-year-old cousin, Gael, has also lost a cousin, so it’s, it’s just a sad situation.”
The family, local to the Winter Haven area were described as good swimmers. However, none of the children were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.
Sheriff Judd offered advice to parents as the warmer months approach: “The best advice is, we’re coming into the summer months, and that’s what Florida is all about. Is water and fun, you know. Follow the rules. Follow the rules. Make sure you know that there’s an age at which children don’t have to wear life vests in boats. But I tell folks there’s never a good time, not to wear a life vest in a boat.” He also stressed the importance of heeding weather warnings.
The family was given the opportunity to see Noah one last time before his body was removed from the scene.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Authorities have recovered the body of a child from Lake Roy, where a search had been underway following a reported disappearance during swimming.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) confirmed the tragic update, stating that the body was recovered from the lake. Sheriff Grady Judd is scheduled to brief the media at the scene after 5:00 p.m.
Earlier in the day, PCSO, in conjunction with the Winter Haven Police Department and Polk County Fire Rescue, initiated a search for the juvenile who went missing while swimming. The search involved the PCSO Marine Unit, equipped with underwater sonar devices, as well as drones and a helicopter. Polk County Fire Rescue also deployed boats with side-scan sonar devices.
“We have our Marine Unit, equipped with underwater sonar devices, and our drones and helicopter overhead; PCFR has boats on the water as well, equipped with side-scan sonar devices,” the PCSO had stated during the search.
Authorities had urged the public to avoid the area to allow emergency responders to conduct their search.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance and death is ongoing. Sheriff Judd will provide further details during the scheduled media briefing.
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