published: Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Sebring teen drowns in canal

News-Sun staff

CITRUS COUNTY -- A 13-year-old Sebring boy drowned while swimming in a barge canal in Citrus County onSunday.

According to reports, Brent Latrell Patterson Jr. was swimming with his cousin, who is also 13, around 1 p.m. when he was seen struggling in the water and then disappeared under the surface about 2.6 miles west of the Barge Canal bridge.

Patterson was spending the afternoon with family from the Ocala area.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office - assisted by the Inglis Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife - responded with its marine unit, dive team and helicopter to search for the boy.

CCSO dive team members recovered Patterson's body at 3:25 p.m.

The medical examiner's office also responded to transport the teen's body to Leesburg for autopsy.