JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family is remembering a 29-year-old Georgia man who went missing while swimming near Huguenot Memorial Park on July 11. They set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and to transport his body back to Georgia once he is found, his sister said.
Donte Wanton, 29, disappeared Saturday after he and two friends were swept away by a sudden current, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said. Bystanders pulled Wanton’s two friends to safety, but Wanton went under and did not resurface, officials said.
Recommended Videos
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville watchstanders received a report about 5 p.m. Saturday, and crews from Coast Guard Station Mayport and local partner agencies searched by water, land and air, the Coast Guard said.
Search teams — including the JSO Marine Unit, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — scoured roughly 3 square miles around the swimmer’s last known location before the Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday pending new information. JSO will lead any future search and investigation, officials said.
“This has been a heart-wrenching experience for our family,” the GoFundMe says. The page asks for financial assistance to bring Wanton’s body back to Georgia once he is found and to give him “the service he deserves.”
Wanton’s sister, Carlotte Wanton, said the family is scattered across several states and grieving from afar.
“I was informed by a family member letting me know that something had happened with my little brother and I’m in Nevada. It’s hard for me, my sisters, my mother, my family right now, and his friends, because to know that he’s being searched for is hard,” she said.
The family has also used this time to reflect on the kind of person he was to those around him.
She described him as outdoorsy.
“He wasn’t big on swimming, per say, but he loved the water and he loved being outside,” she said.
She said he was the only son among four daughters and had hoped to have a family of his own someday.
“He just wanted to live for something and not be like the world,” she said. “He was so different. Our conversations just made me feel so happy as a big sister.”
Witnesses reported Wanton was last seen wearing pink shorts and clinging to a red buoy before submerging, the Coast Guard said.
Bystanders on the beach jumped in to help and Carlotte said one man in particular stood out.
“James Mack was the civilian that attempted to save my brother’s life,” she said. “He also was the gentleman that did save some lives.”
And from there, the support has only grown stronger in the midst of tragedy.
“To be honest, the great people in Jacksonville, they have become family,” They have been such a help and blessing and thank God for James again. He did his very best and we just want to let him know we love and appreciate his efforts."
Jacksonville authorities continue to treat the case as an active investigation, and recovery efforts remain ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. Anyone with information is asked to contact JSO.
Click here to help bring Donte home.
“The GoFundMe was made out of love for my brother and dire need of help. [We] are so thankful for the help,” she said.