Body of missing yacht crew member recovered near Egmont Key

Officials confirmed Monday that a body recovered just off Egmont Key is that of 27-year-old Andrew Dillman.

A boater reported a body floating in the water around 2 p.m., about three miles west of Egmont Key, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The body was identified as Dillman’s.

Dillman, a crew member, was one of two people to go missing from a charter yacht on March 14. He reportedly jumped into the water to try to help college student Jie Lou, 21, of China, return to the boat, but both were swept away by strong currents.

Lou and 14 other college classmates chartered the yacht, and several jumped into the water after the boat anchored in Shell Key. Lou was the only student who did not return to the boat.

The Coast Guard called off the search of the Pass-a-Grille Channel area Thursday after searching more than 1,500 square miles.

Lou’s body has not yet been recovered.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Body of missing yacht crew member recovered near Egmont Key."