Jie Luo, a 21-year-old Colorado State student went missing March 14 after he and four others decided to go swimming jumping off a chartered yacht.  Luo and the four other swimmers were part of a group of 16 college students sailing on a charter boat in the Pass-A-Grille channel near the Gulf of Mexico while on spring break.  Due to a strong current and strong winds, Luo could not get back on the boat and the boat’s first mate, Andrew Dillman, 27-years-old, jumped in the water attempting to rescue Luo while the charter captain assisted the four other swimmers.

Unfortunately, both men were swept away by the current and went missing.  Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office searched for the missing men for days until calling off the search on March 19.  Shortly after, boaters found the men’s bodies south of where they originally went missing. Dillman’s body was found March 20 and Luo’s March 22.  We extend our sincere condolences to their families and loved ones.