Search for missing swimmer suspended at Huguenot Memorial Park

From our partner Action News:

Dangerous conditions at Huguenot Memorial Park prevented the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office from continuing their search for a missing swimmer on Sunday.

The JSO dive team was out searching until just before midnight on Saturday.

Police tell Action News the odds of the man being found alive are pretty low; they suspect the search effort to shift to a recovery mission instead.

Many families were out enjoying the beach on Father's Day but maintaining a watchful eye on their loved ones.

"At first it was pretty rough, it's pulling people more to the right we're making sure the kids stay to the left of us," said Jermaine Washington, a beach goer.

Many people preferred to steer clear of the deep end.

"We haven't been out too far we've just been knee deep," said Sheryl Hodges, a beach goer.

Yellow flags flapped in the wind warning swimmers of a risk for rip currents. Washington said lifeguards have already had to warn several swimmers about going too far.

"They're blowing their whistle calling people back in," said Washington.

According to JSO, they received the call about the missing swimmer around 7 p.m. on Saturday, that's an hour after lifeguards went home for the day.

JSO said three men were swimming in chest deep water when two of them became distressed. A few swimmers nearby were only able to save one of them who was taken an area hospital in stable condition.

According to lifeguards on duty, they work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Anyone swimming when they're not on duty is swimming at their own risk.

Search teams plan to continue looking for the man once conditions improve.