GULFPORT, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they're trying to determine whether or not a boating accident that happened in close proximity to a deceased individual found in Boca Ciega Bay on Monday is connected to the victim's death.
- Identity of individual found not released
- Boating accident investigation under way
- GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses
- More Pinellas County stories
The FWC has not released the victim's identity. However, a Clearwater man said a relative told him the deceased individual was Leonard Ward, a Gulfport man in his 70's.
"I was called this morning by his son who told me the very sad news that Leonard had passed away in a boating accident," said Paul Sarsten, 63. "Leonard Ward was my friend of some 20 years. He was one of the nicest people that I ever knew."
Sarsten said he and Ward were scheduled to have lunch together in downtown Gulfport on Monday but he never showed up.
"I wasn't able to reach him on the phone when I got there," said Sarsten. "It makes sense that Leonard would have been on the way over to Gulfport in his dinghy to meet with me and he didn't make it."
Sarsten said he wants to know if Ward was run over in his dinghy by another boat.
"There is a possibility that his boat was hit by another boat," he said. "FWC confirmed with me that they did in fact speak with a boater who had reported that he hit a submerged dinghy."
FWC spokesperson Melody Kilborn said FWC is conducting a boating accident investigation involving a death and have interviewed all individuals involved in the incident.
"It is still very early on in the investigation; however, we do know that there was a boating accident in close proximity to where the deceased individual was located," Kilborn said. "We are working to determine whether or not the individual died as a result of that boating accident."
Sarsten said Ward lived on his boat in Gulfport with his disabled son that he cared for and has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family with funeral expenses.
"Leonard was not in a position to be called 'affluent,'" he said. "I know that Ian, his son, could use a little bit of help to get through this. So my wife was kind enough to set up a GoFundMe page for Leonard Ward."
Sarsten said he hopes anyone who lives on the east side of the Boca Ciega Bay waterfront and has surveillance cameras pointed at their backyard could check to see if they captured the accident that happened at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday.
Anyone with information about the boating accident should call FWC.