A nearly three-hour search Friday resulted in the recovery of a teenage drowning victim.NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Avon Park boy whose body was recovered Friday in the surf, four hours after he went under, has been identified as 17-year-old J.J. Branchedor, authorities said.
The teen, who was here on a day trip with Forest Lake Academy, a Seventh-Day Adventist high school based in Apopka, got lost in the swollen surf at 4:30 p.m. while several friends who also struggled managed to get back to shore with the help of Beach Patrol personnel.
The teens were in an area where lifeguards are not posted, a half mile north of the Canaveral National Seashore.
The drowning victim's body was recovered shortly after 7:15 p.m. by Beach Patrol officers on jet skis.
Volusia County Beach Patrol officials could not be reached for more specifics.
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