JOHNS ISLAND, SC - Crews recovered the body Monday of a missing 17-year-old who reportedly fell from a boat in the area of the Limehouse Bridge.
The body of Joseph Chomyn was recovered Monday at approximately 8 a.m., according to St. Johns Deputy Fire Marshall Rick Anewalt. The discovery was made in the area where the 17-year-old had been reported missing.
At 2:22 p.m., the Charleston County coroner confirmed Chomyn's identity.
An official with the Porter-Gaud School confirmed Monday morning that Chomyn was a student there. The school released a statement after Chomyn was recovered:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of senior Joey Chomyn. He was an extraordinary sailor and student fueled by a passion for the water and life. We will miss him dearly. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for the Chomyn family and the entire Porter-Gaud community.“
There has also been an outpouring of support for the teenager’s family on social media and from the community, some of whom stepped up to try and find him.
“I kayaked around and helping search because I know the feeling of having a loved one in the water and not being able to get them back,” Dave Zirkle said.
Chomyn went missing on Saturday night at approximately 8:30 p.m. and multiple agencies responded to a report of a possible drowning, Anewalt said.
The Limehouse Boat Landing was closed during the search Sunday. St. John's fire district stopped their search for the day on Sunday night around 8:15 p.m. and started searching again on Monday morning.
Responding agencies included St. Johns Fire Department, St. Andrews Fire Department, Charleston Fire Department, North Charleston Fire Department, the Coast Guard, Charleston County EMS and helicopters.
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