Body Recovered From Sunken Shrimp Boat In Tampa Waters: Reports

TAMPA, FL — Tampa police divers found a body on a sunken shrimp boat near McKay Bay while searching for the vessel’s missing captain, according to multiple reports.

Curtis Lee Cowling, who owns the 63-foot boat, “Miss Jordi,” which he lived on full time, was last seen Saturday around 11 p.m., after his vessel was reported as submerged underwater, police said.

Around the time he went missing, strong storms with heavy winds up to 30 mph started to pick up in the Tampa Bay area, WTSP said.

The boat leaked thousands of gallons of diesel fuel in the water, which prevented divers from immediately searching the waters for Cowling.

The U.S. Coast Guard worked to clean up the oil spill and contained it to the area, reports said.

Police found the boat Sunday around 7:45 a.m. and a body was recovered from it that night around 10:30 p.m., WFLA reported.

Officers haven’t confirmed whether the body is Cowling or not and are working to notify the person’s family, according to the Tampa Bay Times.