Tallahassee, Florida, USA:  Anna Maria Island, Florida – September 5, 2025: Authorities have officially identified the body recovered earlier this week as that of 20-year-old aviation student Abhigyan Patel, who vanished while swimming off Bean Point Beach. Patel was a resident of Lakeland, Florida.

According to investigators, Patel disappeared around 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, after entering the water with a friend. He was last seen wearing an olive-green shirt. While his companion was safely pulled from the surf, Patel was caught in powerful currents and dragged away. A large-scale rescue mission began immediately, covering close to 172 square miles and drawing support from several agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Longboat Key Police, Holmes Beach Police, and West Manatee Fire & Rescue.

The next morning, at approximately 11:30 a.m., officers from the Longboat Key Police Department reported seeing a body floating about half a mile to one mile off the coast of Anna Maria Island. On Tuesday, September 2, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the remains belonged to Patel. Authorities postponed making his identity public until his father, who was abroad at the time, had been notified.

Patel had traveled to the island with four other fellow aviation students from Lakeland for a beach outing. News of his death has deeply saddened his peers as well as the local community, which has experienced similar tragedies involving dangerous rip currents in previous summers.