Searchers have found the body of a 14-year-old Winter Haven boy who was swept away by a current while swimming off Anna Maria Island on Saturday, authorities said.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, marine deputies recovered the body of Dushay Nelson around 9 a.m. Authorities said the body was recovered in the Gulf of Mexico near where Nelson disappeared.

Nelson was swimming in knee-deep water about 5 p.m. Saturday when he was swept under by the current while swimming with his brother.

"There was two waves. The first wave threw them out a bit from knee deep. I guess the current was so strong and then the second one swept them out until their feet couldn't touch the ground any more, and that’s where they started drowning," said Dushay's uncle, Jonatan Moraels-Diaz.

The boys' cousin jumped in to save them. Dushay told him to save his little brother, Deandre, first.



"Dushay was helping Deandre stay afloat by pushing him up and going under himself," Diaz said.

When the cousin returned for Dushay, it was too late. "Everytime they would get close to him, he would just get further back. The last thing he heard was 'please save me' and that was all he heard," Diaz said. "My cousin Richard is heart broken because he said he should have saved them both. My sister is in disbelief."



Anne Cowin was at the beach Saturday and saw the rescue crews searching for Dushay. "We are all holding our children a little closer today and feeling very sorry for the family and the tragedy that has occurred. We were all in the water and counting heads minute by minute today," Cowin said.



Diaz says what happened to Dushay, could happen to anyone. "It's no joke. It went from knee high to drowning in a matter of seconds," Diaz said.



Nelson apparently was visiting Anna Maria Island with his family.

