FWC looking for info on possible boater hit-and-run

APOLLO BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — It’s a mystery that state investigators have been struggling to unravel.

They are trying to find out how a man in his 30s ended up dead near MacDill Airforce Base on July 17.

Medical examiners recently determined the man had marks on his body conducive to being hit by a boat propeller, so now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has taken the lead on the investigation.

“He was a new resident to the area and was an avid kayaker and fisherman,” said Forest Rothchild, FWC Public Information Officer. “It was known that around the [July] 15 that he was going to be going out but they’re not sure which kayak or what equipment he took with him.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are asking the public to call them with any information they might have on the man whose body was found in the bay.

“It was located near MacDill so they had to kind of cut across the bay from the Apollo Beach launch area and may have floated or paddled across.”

The FWC is not releasing the man’s name at this time, but there are plenty of questions about how he may have died. First, if he went kayaking, where is it? Investigators haven’t found it.

The victim’s body had injuries consistent with being struck by a boat propeller, which raises the question: did someone hit him and leave him to die? Or was he already dead when he was struck?

“They believe that this person was in the water, the boat went by and the props may have struck the person,” Rothchild said.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious near Apollo Beach or MacDill Airforce Base between July 15-17 is asked to contact FWC using the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC or text 847411 with the keyword “FWC” and information about the incident.

Tipsters may be eligible for reward.

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