PHOTOS: Dirt bike pulled from pond near where St. Johns County man disappeared
St. Johns County deputies believe they have found the body of 20-year-old Artie Wagner in a retention pond Tuesday morning.
Wagner's friends placed flowers near the retention pond where the body was found.
“I never thought something like this would happen to him," Christian Goolsby said. "He just went for a ride and never showed back up.”
According to deputies, the man's family reported him missing over the weekend after he made concerning comments and took off on his dirt bike. Investigators said it was the same bike pulled from the pond.
“I wish he would have said something to us and let us know,” Reece Gildersleeve said.
The group of friends said they’ll rely on one another for comfort, so they can support his family.
“It’s going to bring us closer," Gildersleeve said. "We’ll be there for his family and his family will be there for us."
The sheriff's office said while their air unit was searching for Wagner, they found what appeared to be a petroleum-based film near the pond late Monday evening.
Authorities said they also discovered what appeared to be motorcycle tracks ending at the edge of the pond where they recovered a yellow motorcycle from the water.
Divers have located and recovered a yellow motorcycle from the pond, which matches the description of the one involved with our recent missing person case.
— SJSO (@SJSOPIO) August 7, 2018
Law Enforcement activity remains at the location currently, but we will be returning the road to normal traffic flow ASAP pic.twitter.com/SQFHpskQZe
Investigators say these are the tire marks from the bike pull from the retention pond where body was found @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/80vHumysQo
— Beth Rousseau (@BethANJax) August 7, 2018
ORIGINAL STORY: SJSO deputies searching for missing, endangered 20-year-old
The sheriff's office said a deputy stayed at the pond overnight to ensure the security of the area, when the deputy discovered a body at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Just arrived on scene where SJSO says they’ve discovered body believed to belong to 20-year-old reported missing Sunday. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/KcV1hmKWvT
— Beth Rousseau (@BethANJax) August 7, 2018
"The body is believed to be that of Arthur Charles Wagner III, who was reported missing/endangered to the Sheriff’s Office Sunday afternoon," authorities said.
Detectives said the 20-year-old was last seen Saturday on a yellow dirt bike -- near the same area where a body was found.
Family members told police Wagner is despondent and recently made threats to harm himself.
The medical examiners office is working to confirm the identity of the body.
BODY DISCOVERED: Before daybreak Tuesday morning, Investigators, along with Dive Team members with the St. John’s...
Posted by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
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