Javier Castro, 21, of Cape Coral, Florida, went missing June 18, 2016, while swimming near Boca Grande’s Range Light Beach. He was with family when several siblings became stranded on a sandbar by a strong rip current. Javier entered the water attempting to save them; three siblings were rescued but he was swept away.

A jet skier recovered one sibling and reported seeing Javier go underwater without a life jacket. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted an extensive search by air and sea over more than 250 square nautical miles, but Javier was not found. The search was suspended on June 20, 2016, and authorities offered condolences to the family.

This disappearance underscores the danger posed by rip currents along Florida’s coast. If anyone was present at Range Light Beach on June 18, 2016, or has information about Javier’s movements that day, please come forward.