REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The body of 31-year-old Richard Boateng, the Maryland man who went missing off the coast of Rehoboth Beach Sunday night, was found on a North Shores beach Monday morning, according to the North Shores Beach Patrol and the Rehoboth Beach Police Department.
Just before 6 a.m., members of Rehoboth Beach police, Delaware State Parks Enforcement Division and the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company responded to a sighting of a human body in the surf. A North Shores Beach Patrol spokesperson said he believes Boateng's body washed up on the beach between 5:30 and 7 a.m., with a witness telling CoastTV she saw an ambulance arrive around 6:15 a.m. Sussex County paramedics positively identified Boateng and pronounced him dead on scene. No foul play is suspected, according to Rehoboth police.
Richard Boateng. Courtesy Rehoboth Beach Police Department.
The search site Sunday included beaches north and south of where Boateng was swimming near Rehoboth Avenue. He was last seen around 5:45 p.m. Sunday, according to the Rehoboth Beach Police Department. The U.S. Coast Guard said the search for Boateng was suspended Monday morning.
Yvonne Vinton, who lives in Rehoboth Beach, told CoastTV News she was letting her dogs out around 6:15 a.m. Monday morning when she was alarmed to see emergency vehicles and flashing lights on the beach behind her house.
"I was disheartened to find EMTs and trucks out here, the figure on the beach, SUVs everywhere with blinking lights..." she said. "I was like, 'oh my gosh, what happened?'" stated Vinton."
Richard Boateng is described as a black male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a bright blue and white swimsuit with a floral design and a blue swim cap. Courtesy Rehoboth Beach Police Department.
Police say several 911 calls were issued about Boateng's situation, prompting a number of agencies to begin a search and rescue effort. The Rehoboth Beach Patrol, Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, Rehoboth Beach Police Department, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Coast Guard were on the ground and in the water. Delaware State Police searched from the skies in a helicopter, as well.
Lifeguards were seen using a rope for support from a chain and made their way into the ocean during the search. Responders also helped with a second person who was pulled from the surf and received medical attention on the beach Sunday night, though details surrounding that situation are limited at the time of writing.
Captain Kent Buckson's North Shores Beach Patrol team helped police recover Boateng's body after it washed ashore.
"It's very traumatic for the lifeguards and for people who had to witness that happen," he said.
Rehoboth Beach rescue
A swimmer was saved by members of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol and good Samaritans Sunday night.