St. Johns Riverkeeper works to keep Florida river clean
Elementary students from Spring Park Elementary tour the St. Johns River to learn about the importance of the water from the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
- Two bodies were recovered from the St. Johns River near Palatka after a reported drowning incident.
- The victims, Wilbert Rivera Cifuentes and Deyfri Roblero Morales, were part of a group that entered the river to retrieve an object.
- Both men were reportedly unable to swim and did not resurface after struggling in the water.
- Multiple agencies, including the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, assisted in the search and recovery efforts.
The bodies of two men have been located after multiple agencies searched the St. Johns River following reports of people falling into the river while shrimping on July 21, according to the Palatka Police Department.
Authorities identified the two men as 20-year-old Wilbert Rivera Cifuentes and 21-year-old Deyfri Roblero Morales.
Police said officers responded to the St. Johns River that evening after a call reporting a possible drowning.Â
Investigators said a group of “five to six” men went into the water near the Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp to retrieve an object. While in the water, two of the men, who reportedly were unable to swim, struggled before going under. Witnesses told police neither of the men resurfaced.
Authorities immediately initiated a search and recovery operation, and around 10:30 the next morning, divers recovered the bodies of the two missing men.
Members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Units assisted in search and recovery efforts.
Watching all the agencies come in and out of the water throughout the morning, Valerie Creeach from Interlachen says where the men fell in is her typical shrimping spot. She’s concerned for her own safety while on the water.
“Anybody who goes in this water way out, you aren’t coming back,” she said. “That’s my whole thing, because I’ve seen so many stories, I know people go out in the water and they never come back. It’s a sad thing because I like fishing here, like shrimping here, bringing the kids here.”
The Palatka Police Department is leading the investigation.
This story was first published by Times-Union news partner First Coast News.
