ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — Update Sept. 17 9:30 a.m.: Deputies patrolling the southern beaches of St. Johns County have located the body of a male subject along the shoreline, in the Matanzas Beach area. While no identity has been confirmed at this time, it is possible the subject is the missing swimmer, Jacob Turner, police say.
Update Sept. 16 10:15 a.m.: The missing swimmer has been identified as Jacob Emanuel Turner, 22, from Tampa, Fla.
Action News Jax spoke to Turners family at St. Augustine Beach. They asked for privacy as first responders continue to search for him in the water. The St. Johns Sheriffs Office said they will continue to land base operations throughout Monday evening.
NEW: SJSO says Jacob Turner, 22, from Tampa is the missing swimmer who was last seen with friends in St. Augustine Beach.
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) September 16, 2019
Right now, fire & rescue crews are continuing their search. We're live at noon with more on @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews. https://t.co/yNvImCg8ZZ
NEW: SJSO says Jacob Turner, 22, from Tampa is the missing swimmer who was last seen with friends in St. Augustine Beach.
There is a red flag advisory over St. Augustine beach, which warns against hazard conditions in the water. Some beach-goers said it convinced them to stay out of the waves.
As Hurricane Humberto passes through the Atlantic Ocean, the First Alert Weather team said high surf and rip current will continue at local beaches.
Red flag warning at St. Augustine Beach, which means a high hazard because of strong currents in the water. pic.twitter.com/JJFh8Wf8Ld
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) September 16, 2019
"When it's rough like this, it's washy, it's very turbulent," beach-goer Jerry Everett said. "It's not safe to get in there."
Everett said he has gotten caught in a rip current before and felt a sense of panic in the water.
"You can't move," Everett said. "It's like somebody's got a rope, pulling you out. And you can see the shoreline but you can't move."
SJSO deputies and St. Augustine fire & rescue crews are out here conducting land base operations. They’re searching for the missing swimmer, Jacob Turner, and watching others in the water. pic.twitter.com/QbxqSi5L9z
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) September 16, 2019
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said it is looking for a missing swimmer at St. Augustine Beach.
Fire rescue said a helicopter and jet skis have been out searching the water for hours, but the man has not been found yet.
MISSING SWIMMER: @SJCFireRescue are searching for a missing male swimmer at St. Augustine Beach. A helicopter and jet skis had been out here searching the water for the last couple of hours but no success at this point @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/qhA4cWoOAM
— Dani Bozzini (@DaniANjax) September 15, 2019
We're told Fire and Rescue are now doing land search operations through the night.
Not only did authorities search for a missing swimmer, 13 people were also pulled from the water today alone by St Johns County Fire and Rescue.
Beachgoer Christy Paligrin tells Action News Jax, "As soon as we got to the beach the ambulance and fire rescue we're loading a gentleman onto the truck who had drowned and giving support to his wife."
Fire and Rescue tell us that man was taken to Flagler hospital in serious condition.
Dangerous water conditions are expected to continue through Monday due to Humberto.
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