The body of a Trinity man who risked his life trying to save a child from drowning has been found, according to a family spokesperson.

The Coast Guard confirms the body was found on an island in the Florida Keys in the area of Johnson Key where Brian Kowalski went missing.

Kowalski jumped into the water off the Florida Keys and was never seen again. He was enjoying an afternoon boating trip with his 10-year-old daughter when a young boy in their group got caught in a rip current.

Erin's mother, Michelle Andrews, said that Brian didn't hesitate to help.

"Before anyone even realized what was going on, Brian jumped in," she said. "He got Johnathan and was holding him, and Erin could see them both in the water. She said she could see her daddy holding him out of the water."

Andrews said Erin watched as the current pulled them away from the boat.

"They were both out there and they were getting further and further away because the current was pulling them," she said. "He let go of Johnathan close enough to the boat so he could get to the boat and that was the last time they saw Brian."

This wasn't the first time Brian played the role of hero.  Friend David Gentry tells us he met the 39-year-old through their children, who ride at the BMX park in Oldsmar.  In fact, Brian's daughter Erin is ranked 10th in the country for her age group.

David recalls an incident in 2003, when Brian performed CPR and saved a toddler who almost drowned in a bathtub.

"He saved that little child's life because he acted without hesitation," Gentry said. "And it sounds to me like that's what he did this time. That's the reports coming back from people that were on the boat."

Friends combed the area where Brian went under with their own boats. The U.S. Coast Guard headed up that search with assistance from the U.S. Navy.

As time passed without any sight of Kowalski, his friends and family, including his daughter, feared the worst.

"She is a very smart girl," Andrews said. "She watched him float away and she knows what might happen.  And she is trying to prepare herself."

Family and friends also say a dive team was in the water, but no one ever saw Kowalski.