2 missing paddle boarders located south of Cedar Key

Mar 18, 2025 9:53 am
Two teenage girls who were paddleboarding from Atsena Otie to Cedar Key on Monday afternoon and went missing were located early Tuesday morning. Courtesy of LCSO
Two teenage girls who were paddle boarding from Atsena Otie to Cedar Key on Monday afternoon and went missing were located early Tuesday morning.
Courtesy of LCSO

Two teenage girls who were paddle boarding from Atsena Otie to Cedar Key on Monday afternoon and went missing were located alive early Tuesday morning.

According to a Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) release, the two 16-year-old girls, who were sharing a black and white paddle board, were last seen around 4 p.m. on Monday.

Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, the LCSO Marine Unit and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) searched for the girls by water and air.

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According to a Facebook post from Cedar Key resident Michael Presley Bobbitt, who assisted in the search, the girls were located 14 miles toward Crystal River near Porpoise Point.

A photo taken on Monday of the two teenage girls who were floating on a paddleboard on a trip from
Courtesy of LCSO A photo on Monday of the two teenage girls who were floating on a paddleboard on a trip from Atsena Otie to Cedar Key.

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  • C.J. Gish

    C.J. Gish is the senior editor for Mainstreet Daily News. He is a Pacific Northwest transplant who grew up in Oregon and moved to Florida in 2018. C.J. has spent more than 30 years in media, public relations and marketing, including stints as a newspaper reporter, working at two TV stations (FOX and ABC) in Boise, and as a media specialist for Eastern Oregon University. C.J. enjoys sports, especially the NFL and NBA, and is the father to three amazing adult children. Send story ideas to editor@mainstreetdailynews.com

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KathyB

So thankful for the happy ending to this story! 🙏

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Gatorgirl

I am very glad these two young women were safely recovered! Hope it doesn’t crimp their taste for adventure.

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