ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A man who recently bought a small handmade vessel, was found dead Sunday morning along the shoreline of Jungle Prada de Narvaez Park in St. Petersburg, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
What we know:
On February 1, a citizen told the St. Petersburg Police Department that they found a body near the Jungle Prada boat ramp.
The body was of a deceased man wearing a personal flotation device.
Police went to the scene and requested assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s flight unit to search for a possible vessel nearby.
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The flight unit found an overturned vessel south of the War Veteran's Memorial Park boat ramp and deputies located a vehicle with a small boat trailer parked in the parking lot.
Due to the location of the vessel, the PCSO took over the investigation.
Dig deeper:
Detectives said that 50-year-old Jeremy Allen Franklin had recently purchased a small homemade vessel.
They added that Franklin brought the vessel out on the water alone and, at some point, entered the water and died.
Officials said that while Franklin’s death does not appear to be suspicious, it is still under investigation.
What we don't know:
It is unclear why Franklin’s vessel overturned.
The Source: This article was written with information found in a press release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and previous FOX 13 News reports.