A snorkeling trip in Volusia County ended in tragedy on Saturday afternoon when a 22-year-old man drowned in the St. Johns River.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the man – identified as Daytona Beach resident Samuel Oche – was snorkeling in the St. Johns River, near French Landing in Orange City, on Saturday, March 7.
At around 4:18 p.m. that afternoon, VCSO deputies responded to the river after several witnesses, including Oche’s girlfriend, reported that he was “struggling to swim” before he went under the water. This occurred when he was approximately 50 feet offshore.
Oche’s girlfriend attempted to rescue him, and multiple individuals also jumped into the water in an attempt to help. However, due to the current, they were unable to hold onto Oche, and they soon lost sight of him.
VCSO’s Air One unit assisted in the search for Oche, and a boat sonar later detected the possible location of Oche’s body, according to the sheriff’s office.
That evening, at around 8 p.m., members of the VCSO dive team recovered Oche from the river.
“The Sheriff’s Office sends sincere condolences to Samuel’s loved ones for their tragic loss,” said VCSO in a social media post on Sunday, March 8.