ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Fire Rescue crews are trying to find someone in a retention pond in Orange County.

  • Deputies on scene of 'active water rescue' in Orange County
  • Wildlife officials also at the scene over report of missing teen
  • Sheriff's Office crews searching pond with boats and sonar

It's all happening in the area of Goldenrod Road, south of East Colonial Drive. 

A Sheriff's Office spokesman said Eric Wolfe called 911, saying they saw what appeared to be a male teen flailing in the pond and then going under.

"I could see what appeared to be a Hispanic man flailing in the water, something yelling about something bit him," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he used his binoculars to report to 911 what he saw, which is the swimmer surfacing a few times, then going underwater and not coming back up.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are also on the scene. FWC tweeted that the search is based on a report about a missing 15-year-old boy.

The lake or retention pond is square in shape and surrounded by a fence with a "No Trespassing" sign.

The Sheriff's Office said it's gotten no reports of anyone missing in the area yet. Deputies are currently searching the pond with boats and sonar. Dive crews are also on standby. So far, nothing has been found, spokesman Jeff Williamson said.

 

A shirt and shoe were found on the shore, but the Sheriff's Office said it doesn't know how long they had been there.

Williamson said they intend to stay out there "until the Sheriff tells us to stop." It could be days before that happens.

The witness, Eric Wolfe, is the only person to have reported the incident to law enforcement.

"I hope I missaw what I saw, but I am set on what I saw with the binoculars," Wolfe said.

FWC said there have been reports of a 6-foot gator in the pond, but officers have not seen anything. Gator trappers are on standby if one is found.

Authorities suspended their search Wednesday night around 8 p.m. The search will continue on Thursday at 7:30 a.m.

Reporters Greg Angel and Matt Fernandez contributed to this story.