Group: Missing man's body found in river

VENICE — The body of a man reported missing after a wreck on a river has been found, according to a group searching for him.

Recon Dive Recovery posted on social media on Friday that the body of Darron Rose had been located. He was found in the Myakka River near Snook Haven.

Rose's family issued a statement through family friend Nicole Gartley to thank the recovery team, as well as neighbors and friends who took part in the weeks-long search.

"On behalf of the entire family, we extend our sincerest appreciation to all who have helped in some way," the statement read.

Rose, 42, of Venice was a plumber and father of three. He was reported missing on Aug. 7 near the Border Road bridge.

He was scouting out the flooding of the Myakka River near his home on a Jet Ski, according to family, shortly after the rainfall brought to the area by Tropical Storm Debby.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Rose's Jet Ski and a jon boat with three local teenagers crashed on the water.

The teenagers secured the Jet Ski after the crash but did not see Rose.

Gartley said the teenagers were the ones to call in the crash and report a man had gone overboard.

Rose's children and family later heard about the crash and realized Rose must have been involved when he did not return later that day.

Sarasota County emergency responders began search and rescue operations that day and continued until Aug. 9.

"They were good at communicating and answering questions," Gartley said.

After the search operation was called off due to the dangerous conditions on the Myakka River, private teams — like Rescue Dive Recovery — and friends of the family continued to search for Rose.

"Darron has a lot of family and friends that live locally … there was an abundance of family and friends that took to the water, in addition to law enforcement," Gartley told The Daily Sun on Friday.

Rose often boated on the river, even camping out with friends to watch the Super Bowl outdoors each year. He even helped Gartley and her family prepare themselves for the local weather when they moved to the area in 2016.

"The flooding that we experienced this time around was just slightly less than what happened in 2017," she said, referring to hurricanes Harvey and Irma from that time.

Through a GoFundMe campaign, the Rose family has been able to raise more than $30,000 to fund the private rescue efforts that eventually located Rose's body.

The team reported Darron Rose was found "farther downstream" from the initial crash area, following drift tests and recommendations from other residents.

With the body of their father now found, Rose's children — two grown adults and one 5-year-old — can now focus on closure.

"The family cannot even begin to express their gratitude for all of these individuals and the amount of time they have spent trying to find anything that might help in the search for this man they all love and respect so much," the family statement read. "It has been a true testament to the kind of man he is."