The search for a 23-year-old who vanished after reportedly falling from a charter vessel in Biscayne Bay ended in heartbreak Sunday, when his family confirmed his body had been recovered, NBC6 reported. Miami Police said officers found a body in the water near 15th Street and Brickell, and relatives identified the victim as Akin Liverpool. Authorities had launched a multi-agency search after Liverpool was reported missing late Friday night.
Coast Guard and city crews searched overnight
The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified around 11:59 p.m. Friday about a missing person feared to be in the water. The man was last seen on the vessel south of Brickell Key and Hobie Island Beach Park, according to NBC6. Coast Guard crews searched the area alongside Miami Marine Patrol, Miami Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami Fire Air Rescue, the outlet reported. Divers and air units joined the effort as teams canvassed waters near the Brickell waterfront through the night.
Police circulated a missing-person flyer
On Saturday Miami Police released a missing-person flyer for a man who had gone out on a charter boat and could be the same missing person, Local 10 reported. The department described Liverpool as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair and dark brown eyes, and said the case is being investigated by its Special Victims Unit. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact the Special Victims Unit or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Biscayne Bay incidents highlight safety risks
Miami's waterways have seen several serious incidents this year, including an earlier body recovery in January and a deadly boating crash in March that left one person dead, underscoring the hazards around Biscayne Bay. Investigators typically review witness statements, video and vessel movements as they work to determine what happened. Miami Police said the investigation into Liverpool's disappearance and death is ongoing and that no further details were released Sunday.
