On Saturday afternoon, July 21, Everglades National Park Rangers joined with the Coast Guard in searching for a missing visitor.William Crick, a 66 year old resident of Palm Beach Gardens, who went missing at around 2:30 pm.
Mr. Crick dove into park waters to retrieve his flats boat that had broken lose from a rented houseboat anchored in the Oyster Bay area of Everglades National Park.Mr. Crick's brother-in-law, who was on the houseboat, notified the Coast Guard that Mr. Crick was missing.The Coast Guard notified the National Park Service.
An immediate search was initiated using NPS vessels and a Coast Guard helicopter to look for Mr. Crick.Unfortunately, this search was not successful and was stopped around 10pm due to darkness and was started again at 7:00 am this morning.The search continued with the support of the Coast Guard, Monroe County Fire Rescue, and Miami-Dade County Marine Division.Despite severe thunderstorms the search and rescue operation found and recovered Mr. Crick's body in the Oyster Bay area where he was first identified as missing.
The National Park Service is deeply saddened by this incident.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
