GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – After five hours of searching, rescuers recovered the bodies of two young men who disappeared while swimming in the St. Johns River, the Green Cove Springs Police Department announced early Monday morning.
Police identified the men as 21-year-old Ahndray Edward Clay and 23-year-old Billy Jo Hammonds.
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Rescuers recovered one of the men Sunday around 11:30 p.m. near the location where he was last seen. The second man was found around midnight.
Earlier in the evening, one of the men jumped off the Spring Park Pier off Walnut Street and attempted to swim to the floating dock.
"He began to struggle, his buddy saw that and jumped in to assist him and he began to struggle as well," said Kimberly Robinson with the Green Cove Springs Police Department.
Both men went under and did not resurface.
Wednesday, News4Jax obtained the 911 calls from the drowning. Mark Stutzman was visiting friends near the pier when he heard Clay having trouble in the water and called 911.
"There's now another guy going in after him and there's no life preservers," Stutzman said.
In the 911 call, Stutzman continued to ask if there was any kind of life preservers on the dock.
"Are there any life preservers anywhere? Anywhere on the pier? Anything close?" Stutzman asked the dispatcher.
The dispatcher replied, saying help was on the way. But Stutzman replied, "He's going under."
Police said there are "no swimming" signs posted and there are no flotation devices at the pier to discourage people from jumping in the water.
Several agencies were involved in the search including Florida Fish and Wildlife, Green Cove Springs marine unit, Clay County dive team and the Coast Guard. Investigators from Putnam County were also on scene.
Robinson said the water was rough Sunday evening, but can't say whether that was a factor in the incident.
"There is a lot of muck at the bottom so someone could struggle and that's why we don't allow swimming or jumping off the pier," said Robinson.
The bodies were taken to the Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.