Missing 18-year-old kayaker located after several agencies search Polk County lake

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- In a Monday morning update, the Polk County Sheriff's Office pulled the missing teen and his kayak from the lake.

The updated story can be viewed here.

Multiple agencies are searching for an 18-year-old man who went missing while kayaking on Lake McLeod in Eagle Lake on Sunday afternoon, Polk County Fire Rescue said.

The search for Aaron Tillman, 18, of Eagle Lake, began after crews received an initial drowning call around 3:07 p.m. A total of five boats searched for him, but he has not been found.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Tillman and a 19-year-old woman were kayaking about 150 yards from shore in water that was about 12 to 15 feet deep when the woman jumped into the water to swim.

However, when she resurfaced, she saw Tillman in the water, struggling to stay above the surface. She told detectives she did not know if he fell or intentionally got into the water.

Tillman's family members told deputies that he could not swim and had never been on a kayak before. PCSO said neither the 18-year-old nor the woman were wearing life jackets.

Despite the woman's efforts and a nearby witness who went into the water to help, Tillman "disappeared in the water," deputies said.

"We have had several boats from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, FWC, and Polk County Fire Rescue looking for this young man, and we will remain on scene until he is found. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Tillman's family and friends, and we're going to look for him like he was one of our own relatives," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.

Tillman is a student at Ambassadors Christian Academy of Winter Haven and is a member of the football and wrestling teams.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Winter Haven Public Safety Department, and Polk County Fire Rescue are aiding the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which is in command of the search.