Search for Little Boy Turns Into a 'Recovery Operation'

An extensive search operation for a missing 9-year-old boy has transitioned its focus from rescue to recovery, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Cameron J. Bullard was reported missing on Saturday. He was last seen playing in ankle-deep water with his brother and other young family members when a large wave struck, the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media. Cameron was pulled underwater and was last seen by a witness drifting out into deeper water before going under again, the agency reported.

Just after 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced that his agency now believes Cameron drowned. According to the email, “the search for Cameron has changed from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation.”

The witness who saw Cameron drift out into deeper water attempted to rescue the child, the sheriff’s office noted. Cameron, however, “never resurfaced and was nowhere to be found.”

Rough seas and strong currents are believed to have played a factor in the incident, the sheriff’s office noted.

Cameron’s uncle Glenn Robinson and another person, Wrojay Russel, were monitoring the children in the water at the time of Cameron’s disappearance.

“Detectives concluded that there was no evidence to indicate that there was a lack of supervision or neglect on their part,” the email said. “Sheriff Gualtieri considered this to be a ‘very unfortunate incident.’”

Cameron was in the fourth grade at Gulf Beaches Elementary School in St. Pete Beach. Grief counselors are expected to be on the campus Monday morning if their services are needed.

Recovery efforts remain active.

Photo of Cameron Bullard courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department