Public Safety

Dive teams, drones deployed in search for missing Shalimar swimmer

Multiple agencies conducted searches Wednesday and Thursday after a distressed swimmer was reported going underwater near the Shalimar Bridge in Okaloosa County.

Jared Williams

Authorities searched for a swimmer who went missing near the Shalimar Bridge early Wednesday morning in Okaloosa County.

Deputies from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a distressed swimmer around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday after witnesses reported seeing a white male go underwater in the area.

Multiple agencies joined the search effort, including boats from the Sheriff’s Office, Eglin Air Force Base, and Florida Fish and Wildlife. The U.S. Coast Guard also responded to assist.

The Sheriff’s Office deployed its Unmanned Aerial Surveillance team with drones, while the OCSO Dive Team searched several locations in the water. Despite these efforts, the swimmer had not been located as of Thursday afternoon.

The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to contact them at 850-651-7400 or reach out to Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers.

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