Body of 44-year-old Port St. Lucie man recovered at McCarty Ranch Preserve

PORT ST. LUCIE − The body of a 44-year-old man was recovered Thursday night from a lake at McCarty Ranch Preserve after the man reportedly went underwater but didn't resurface, Port St. Lucie police said.

Investigators went to the scene on Range Line Road west of Interstate 95 about 2:30 p.m. Thursday after the man, who had been about 10 feet from shore, didn’t resurface, said Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson.

The body of the man, identified as Nariendra Sudama, of Port St. Lucie, was recovered about 7:30 p.m. after being located by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office dive team, Mesiti said.

Mesiti said Sudama had been with a group of about five or six individuals, and they said they were in the water of one of the lakes about 10 feet out.

Mesiti said Sudama apparently dove under the water a number of times before he didn't come up.

"A few times he went headfirst feet up and then the last time they saw him, he went headfirst again and never resurfaced," Mesiti said.

‘A great guy’

Sudama’s wife, Bettyann Sudama, 53, on Friday said her husband loved fishing, hanging out with friends and being outside.

“Loved his family, loved joking around, loved to be around, most of all, his family and friends,” Bettyann Sudama said.

She said they originally are from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, but met in New York. She said they were married 21 years, and moved to Port St. Lucie 11 years ago. They have a daughter and a son.

The Thursday trip to McCarty Ranch Preserve was his first, she said.

Friend Ricky John, 55, of Port St. Lucie said he was at McCarty Ranch Preserve when the incident occurred. They were celebrating a friend’s birthday.

“We were having a cookout and fishing,” John said.

John said Nariendra Sudama had a big heart.

“He's a great guy, fun to be around. Makes everybody happy,” John said. “You can show up at his house with a stranger and he would make them feel at home. That’s the kind of person he is.”

'No indications of foul play'

The preserve, a large nature area, is at 12525 Range Line Road south of the intersection of Glades Cut Off and Range Line roads.

Mesiti said the area is posted no swimming and beware of gators. He said a sheriff's deputy with a rifle fired two shots to dissuade an alligator as it swam in the direction of sheriff's divers.

A variety of resources were used in the search, including drones and the police department's marine unit.

"There are a line of rocks approximately 10 to 12 feet out from the shoreline ... and it is possible he struck his head and/or face but we can't be sure until the autopsy," Mesiti stated.

He said police are investigating the incident as an accidental drowning.

“There are no indications of foul play,” Mesiti said.

John said Nariendra Sudama went into the water and had called for others to come in.

Bettyann Sudama wanted her husband to be remembered as “the happy-go-lucky person that he was.”

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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com .

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Body of 44-year-old Port St. Lucie man recovered at McCarty Ranch Preserve