UPDATE - Monday, Mar. 20, 2017, 5:40 p.m.: The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body found earlier Monday is that of Andrew Dillman, 21. The body was first spotted around 2 p.m. about three miles west of Egmont Key.
The body of the other missing boater, Jie Lou, 21, has not been recovered.
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Today is the final push to recover two missing boaters in the Gulf and bring closure to the families.
- Final push for missing boaters recovery mission
- Boaters went missing on Tuesday, March 14
- Student, crew member swept away in Pass-A-Grille Channel
Deputies began their search and rescue efforts on Tuesday when a group of college students chartered a yacht and five of them decided to jump in the water to swim.
Four were able to make it back onto the boat, but Jie Lou, 21, got swept up in the current.
Crew member Andrew Dillman, 21, jumped in to help Lou and was also swept away by the current.
Rescue crews have conducted searches spanning over 1500 miles.
On Thursday the Coast Guard suspended their search and on Friday the search and rescue mission changed to a recovery mission.
The sheriff’s office will continue the mission through sun down today, and after today, deputies will conduct extra patrols by land and water.