Man’s body found by paddleboarder in waters off Jacksonville Beach Curtis Newkirk Jr., 19, went missing in the ocean on Sunday
Jacksonville Beach Pier (Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A Jacksonville Beach paddleboarder on Wednesday morning found the body of a man floating about 100 yards offshore, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
The grisly discovery was made around 10:30 a.m. about 10 blocks north of the Jacksonville Beach Pier.
Police said the paddleboarder pulled the body to shore but the agency did not release the man’s identity.
It’s unclear if the man found Wednesday is Curtis Newkirk Jr., 19, who went missing in the ocean south of the Jacksonville Beach pier Sunday evening . Newkirk was swimming with a group when some of them went into distress, lifeguards said. Everyone else made it to the shore, but he was nowhere to be found.
Police said no further information will be available until a positive identification can be made by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.
About the Author Travis Gibson headshot
Executive Reporter who has lived in Jacksonville for over 30 years and helps reporters develop meaningful and impactful community stories.
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