Authorities are actively searching for an 18-year-old man who went missing while kayaking on Lake McLeon in Eagle Lake on Sunday.
Aaron Tillman was kayaking with a 19-year-old woman approximately 150 yards from the shore in water that was about 12 to 15 feet deep when he vanished.
The woman accompanying Tillman had jumped into the water for a swim, and upon resurfacing, she noticed him struggling to stay afloat.
She was uncertain whether Tillman had accidentally fallen into the water or had intentionally entered it.
Tillman, a student at Ambassadors Christian Academy in Winter Haven, was involved in both the school’s football and wrestling teams.
His family later disclosed that Tillman did not know how to swim and had never been kayaking before. Additionally, neither Tillman nor his companion was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
A multi-agency effort is underway to locate the missing kayaker.
“We have multiple boats from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, FWC, and Polk County Fire Rescue involved in the search, and we will continue until he is found. Our hearts go out to Mr. Tillman’s family and friends, and we’re committed to searching for him as if he were one of our own,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
