REDACTED NEWS MEDIA CLIP: 07-17-09 OCALA, FL Son of Miami district fire chief drowns in Central Florida lake Miami Herald (07-19-09) What started as a fun summer vacation for the teenage son of a Miami district fire chief ended in tragedy when the teenager drowned in a lake near Ocala. The body, 17, a student at Palmetto High School, was found Sat. (07-18) by divers in the murky waters of Big Lake Henderson. He had joined several friends on a boating trip into the lake; they told authorities he jumped overboard to cool himself off, came up for air once, then went under again. A frantic search by police, fire rescue and wildlife officials led to the discovery of his body. The teens on Fri. (07-17) to Big Lake Henderson, one of several in the Tsala Apopka lake chain, for a day of jet skiing and boating. Early in the afternoon, victim told his 4 friends on deck he wanted to jump into the water to cool off. The teen piloting the 17-ft. fiberglass boat stopped the vessel near a line of weeds in the NW corner of the lake. Police said the teen never anchored. As victim jumped into the water alone, a strong wind blew across the lake, causing the boat to slowly drift away. At about 1 p.m., the 2 boys and 2 girls onboard saw victim resurface. Then he went underwater again and disappeared. The crew of an aquatic services vessel nearby approached the teens' boat and tried to help find victim to no avail. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., deputies were called to assist in the search. Citrus Co. Fire Rescue also joined in the search. 
But the teens could not agree on where victim had gone down.As the search area expanded, a helicopter was called in and police divers went underwater. At least one boat circled the area towing behind it a side-scan sonar machine. Investigators temporarily called off the search at 8:15 p.m. Fri. The next morning at 9:20 a.m., divers using sonar found victim's body several feet below the water's surface. Investigators are calling it a tragic accident and do not suspect foul play. victim will be taken to the Leesburg medical examiner's office for an autopsy. http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/1148909.html
ocala