A Colorado student and a charter mate went missing in the Pass-A-Grille Channel near St. Pete beach Tuesday night.
- Two missing off Shell Key in Pinellas
- Student and charter mate went missing Tuesday night
- Crews still searching
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Marine Deputies and the Coast Guard are currently searching for Jie Lou, 21, from China and Andrew Dillman, 27, from New York.
Officials said fifteen students from Colorado State University were on a 71-foot charter boat off of Shell Key Tuesday night.
They said five students, including Lou, had gone swimming off the side of the boat while anchored, but only four were able to swim back to the vessel.
Officials said Dillman, a charter mate, jumped in to rescue Lou while the charter captain was assisting the four other swimmers.
Officials believe the two men were caught in the fast moving current and were not wearing personal flotation devices.
The two went missing around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Coast Guard crews and partner agencies have conducted 22 searchers over 419 square miles so far, but say the wind and choppy water is making the search difficult.
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Andrew and Jie during this difficult time," said Lt. Jason Holstead, the command duty officer at Sector St. Petersburg. "We continue work closely with our partners to search for Andrew and Jie, all of us have them and their family in our thoughts and prayers."
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.