Volunteers credited for finding teens who went missing while paddleboarding in Cedar Key
2 paddleboarding teens who went missing found safe
Two Florida teenagers who went missing while paddleboarding in Cedar Key on Monday have been found safe, according to the Levy County Sheriff's Office.
LEVY COUNTY, Fla. - Two Florida teenagers who went missing while paddleboarding in Cedar Key on Monday have been found safe, according to the Levy County Sheriff's Office.
‘They were holding on to each other, shivering’
What we know:
Two 16-year-old girls went missing while paddleboarding near Cedar Key on Monday. They were found safe on Tuesday morning near Porpoise Point, about 14 miles southeast of their starting point.
Two teenagers who went missing while paddleboarding in Cedar Key, Florida were found by search volunteers early Tuesday morning, authorities said. (Credit: Levy County Sheriff's Office)
Deputies said the teens were discovered by search volunteers early Tuesday morning, near Porpoise Point in the area of Yankeetown.
According to the Levy County Sheriff's Office, the girls were cold but otherwise healthy.
What we don't know:
The exact cause of the incident remains unclear, but the girls were stranded on a bed of sharp oysters and had drifted for over 16 hours. The specifics of how they got into that situation are not yet fully explained, and the condition of their paddleboard is not detailed.
The backstory:
The two teenagers, who were paddleboarding, became lost overnight while drifting about 14 miles from Cedar Key.
Despite poor conditions, including sharp oysters, cold, and dehydration, the girls managed to survive the night, though they were initially missed by aerial searches. The Levy County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Coast Guard conducted search efforts both on the water and from the air.
They were rescued by a group of volunteers early the following morning.
Local perspective:
Local volunteers played a critical role in locating the missing teens, demonstrating community support and resilience. This case highlights the risks of water activities, even for experienced individuals, and the importance of carrying emergency equipment like a phone when engaging in water sports.
What they're saying:
"The girls have been located. Cold but otherwise healthy," the sheriff's office said on Tuesday in an update on social media.
Cold, cut, and dehydrated is how Will Pauling and his two friends, Alex Jeffries and Russell Coon, said they found two teens, stranded on top of a bed of sharp oysters.
"They were holding on to each other, shivering, their feet and hands were pretty cut up," said Pauling.
Jeffries said walking on oysters is like walking on razor blades, adding "You can look at an oyster prong and probably get cut."
For over 16 hours, the girls drifted together on a single paddleboard throughout the night .
"Looked over and seen a spec on the shore, and I was like, I think that’s a paddleboard, and then as soon as I turned the boat they just started flailing," Jeffries explained.
"The girls were coming home no matter what," Coon said.
The girls survived through the night as authorities and countless volunteers scoured the waters.
"The girls even said they had a few helicopters fly over with spotlights, and they got missed by just a few feet with those spotlights throughout the night," said Pauling.
Thanks to volunteers like these three fathers, the Levy County Sheriff’s Office says the two girls are going to be just fine.
"They weathered the storm on probably the most ill-equipped watercraft out there last night. Strong girls," said Scott Tummond of the sheriff's office. "Their resilience is amazing."
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Levy County Sheriff's Office on March 18, 2025 and volunteer searchers Will Pauling, Alex Jeffries, and Russell Coon.