Update:
Search efforts for the swimmer who went missing along Navarre Beach have been suspended due to unsafe weather conditions, according to the Santa Rosa County Public Information Office. The United States Coast Guard along with Santa Rosa County emergency services made the decision at 11 a.m. on Wednesday to halt search efforts. Inclement weather conditions are expected to persist over the next couple of days.
Original article:
Search and recovery efforts continue for a missing Crestview man this morning along Navarre Beach. Christopher Beal, 28, entered the water just west of the Navarre Fishing Pier with a female during an early morning swim on Tuesday, according to a report from the Northwest Florida Daily News.
While the female was able to exit the water, it is believed Beal was caught in a rip current and unable to make it back to shore. According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the water was considered to be very rough with red flag surf conditions.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene around 4:20 a.m. in which a large search and rescue operation immediately took place. In addition to the sheriff’s office, crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Santa Rosa EOC, the Navarre Beach Fire Department, Lifeguard Ambulance Air 1 and Florida Fish and Wildlife joined the search and rescue operation.
“Assets included fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, boats, ATVs and beach search vehicles,” according to the SRSO press release.
A trauma intervention team was also on hand to provide support to friends and family at the scene.
At 5:30 p.m., the search and rescue operation transitioned to search and recovery in which the operation was suspended due to inclement weather.
Throughout Tuesday night, the Navarre Beach Fire Department patrolled the beach, according to the press release. Operations to locate the missing swimmer are expected to resume this morning in which more inclement weather is anticipated.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: UPDATE: Search for missing swimmer suspended