Authorities issued a tragic update in the case of an 18-year-old star athlete who went missing on a kayak excursion with a friend last weekend, Fox 13 reported.
Following a 14-hour search, authorities in Lake McLeod, FL, authorities located the body of Aaron Tillman shortly after 5 a.m. on Monday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced in a video posted to Facebook. He was found in a body of water which was roughly 13 feet deep.
Tillman, a football player and wrestler at his Winter Haven high school, went missing on Sunday around 3 p.m. while on a kayaking trip with an unidentified 19-year-old woman. The sheriff’s office reported that neither Tillman nor his companion were wearing life vests. Tillman’s family later informed authorities that he did not know how to swim, and to their knowledge had never before been on a kayak.
“The woman told deputies that she jumped into the water from the kayak to swim, but when she resurfaced she saw Tillman in the water and struggling to stay above water,” the sheriff’s office said. “She told detectives that she did not know if he fell or intentionally got into the water. Despite the efforts of the woman and a nearby witness who went into the water to help, Tillman disappeared in the water.”
Tillman’s coaches and teammates from Ambassadors Christian Academy’s wrestling and football teams lamented the loss of their friend, who they hailed as a talented and respectful young man.
“He was such a respectful, honorable kid,” football coach Eryk Anglin told The Miami Herald about the teen. “He never talked back, always tried to get the team to listen to the coaches. He didn’t deserve this.”
Anglin later told WFTS that, “It’s very hard for all of us. The coaches, the players, the school. We're all going to miss Aaron.”
A GoFundMe launched in Tillman’s name aims to raise funds to assist his family with funeral and afterlife expenses.
