Miami Beach

Body of Swimmer Who Went Missing Off Miami Beach Found, After Man Died in Rescue Attempt

Body found a day after a man died trying to rescue a father and daughter from ocean

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What to Know

  • A body has been found Thursday morning during the search for a man who went missing Wednesday while swimming off Miami Beach
  • Police said another man who tried to rescue the swimmer and his 11-year-old daughter died in the attempt
  • The daughter was rescued by a second Good Samaritan, officials said

A body has been found during the search for a swimmer who went missing in the waters off Miami Beach, a day after another man who tried to rescue the swimmer and his family died.

Miami Beach Police said a body was pulled from the water Thursday morning, and fire rescue officials confirmed that it is the missing swimmer.

He was identified as 42-year-old Kirk Munguia, of Miami.

The incident began around 6 p.m. Wednesday after rescue workers responded to a call of swimmers in distress near 54th Street and Collins Avenue.

A police report said a witness saw Munguia and his 11-year-old daughter on a raft that got knocked over by a wave.

Police said a 49-year-old man had gone into the ocean to rescue Munguia and his daughter. A second Good Samaritan also went into the water and was able to rescue the daughter, officials said.

A man died after trying to rescue a young girl in the waters off Miami Beach, and officials searched the ocean Wednesday for the child’s father. NBC 6's Stephanie Bertini reports

The 49-year-old man was unconscious by the time rescue workers arrived and had to be taken to Mt. Sinai Medical Center where he died shortly after arriving, officials said. He was identified as Ariel Romero Velazquez, of Hialeah.

Several agencies including Miami-Dade Police and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the search for Munguia.

Miami Beach Police issued safety guidelines for anyone caught in dangerous rip currents.

"Rip currents may become strong enough to pull the best of swimmers out to sea. The best method of escape would be to swim sideways from the pull of the current, then swim to shore and allow the waves to push you towards the shore. It is important to move a considerable distance from the rip current so as not to be fed back into it from the lateral (parallel to shore) current," police said. "Even with this knowledge, it may not be as simple as it sounds. For your own safety, it's best to swim near a lifeguard stand and check the beach warning flags before entering the water."

Check back with NBC 6 for updates.

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