Home Care In Jensen Beach, FL

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. —

Loved ones of Nick Alincy, 17, whose body was recovered at Bathtub Beach in Martin County on Tuesday morning, share with the world his legacy.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

"Nick is just this kid that you want to love... He’s that kid who just can get you to just be who you need to be around him" Elda Jean, Nick Alincy's aunt, said.

On Monday morning, Alincy and his girlfriend were at Sea Turtle Beach, taking pictures. Officials say he then went into the waters for a swim but had not resurfaced.

"He was supposed to be here with a lot of friends, they were just coming late, and he happened to arrive here earlier than them," Jean said.

Soon after, a multi-agency search began as law enforcement officials and first responders looked for the missing teen.

Body of teen who went missing after early morning swim off Jensen Beach recovered

Martin County Fire Rescue, Martin County Sheriff's Office, FWC, and the U.S. Coast Guard had been patrolling the beaches throughout the day and throughout the night.

"I can’t imagine what the family’s going through, knowing that their loved one is somewhere in this vast ocean not knowing for sure that he had not made it, having some hope but also being realistic," Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said.

After a more than 24-hour search, deputies had found Alincy's body about five miles south from where he had vanished.

"It’s hard, sorry. It’s hard," Richard Alincy, his older brother, said.

Loved ones were also searching throughout the night with flashlights in hopes of finding the 17-year-old.

"We did have deputies on the beach with flashlights," Budensiek said. "If it was any of our loved ones, we would expect the same."

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WPBF 25 News learned that Alincy played for the PSL Soccer Club and was a passionate athlete. On Tuesday evening at Swan Park in Port St. Lucie, loved ones and community members plan to gather for a remembrance vigil.

"Nick was Nick ! He always had a smile on his face that was contagious. He loved to play soccer so much that during his lunch breaks he would leave work to come train with the team and then run back before his break ended. Nick would kick the ball around with the siblings of the other players and volunteer his time in coaching at our recreational level. Nick touched a lot of lives and he will be missed and celebrated. We will miss Nick on and off the Field and we love our #5!!" Director of Coaching Manny Ardeljan told WPBF 25 News.

The vigil is scheduled for 8 p.m.

, Fla. —

The mother of a woman hit by a vehicle on the Treasure Coast is pleading for someone with information about what happened to come forward and contact law enforcement.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office confirms detectives are investigating an incident involving a vehicle and pedestrian on the 10000 block of South Ocean Drive in Jensen Beach, which occurred at about 7:20 p.m. on Saturday.

Family members say 20-year-old Rae Landgrebe was crossing the roadway, in a crosswalk, when she was hit by a vehicle that drove away.

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"She’s in excruciating pain,” said Karissa Landgrebe, Rae Landgrebe's mother.

Rae Landgrebe is recovering at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital. She has breaks to her vertebrae, pelvis and tailbone as well as road burn and cuts on her face.

Courtesy: Karissa Landgrebe

Rae Landgrebe

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"The next thing she knew all she saw was headlights and that’s all she could really remember and the next thing she knew she was on the other side of the road being helped,” said Karissa Landgrebe.

Karissa has been trying to keep Rae's spirits up as Rae begins the long process of trying to heal.

"I’m grateful to God that she is alive. God definitely had angels watching over her. It’s the scariest feeling a parent could ever feel,” said Karissa Landgrebe.

Right now, a top concern on the family’s mind is whether the driver who hit Rae will be brought to justice.

"If someone knows or saw anything, just please, please come forward. That’s all we ask,” said Karissa Landgrebe. "I don’t think someone should just be able to hit someone with a car and just be able to drive off like nothing happened. What if that was their child who got hit if they had a child? I mean how would that make them feel? I mean as a mother, it’s — you can’t even imagine."

If you have any information about what happened you're urged to call the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office at 772-462-7300.

The family has set up a Go Fund Me page to help Rae during this difficult time. Click here to visit that page.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

JENSEN BEACH — Rescue workers plan to continue their search overnight for a 17-year-old boy who went missing early Monday while swimming off the shore of Jensen Beach.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office identified the teen as Nick Lovensen Alincy, of Fort Pierce, who is a student at St. Lucie West Centennial High School in Port St. Lucie.

Sheriff’s deputies, the sheriff's marine and aviation units and dive team and fire rescue personnel responded to Sea Turtle Beach, 4191 N.E. Ocean Blvd., around 6:45 a.m.

According to the Sheriff's Office, a witness told detectives Nick got caught in some rough surf while swimming, and he was pulled out in the water.

Chief Deputy John Budensiek said Nick arrived to the beach at daybreak to take photos with his girlfriend.

After taking photos with his girlfriend, Nick entered the water twice, Budensiek said.

The tide pulled him away the second time and other people on the beach told sheriff's investigators they also saw Nick in the surf before he went under and he has not since resurfaced, the chief deputy said.

Budensiek said the Sheriff’s Office and fire rescue expanded the search Monday afternoon to Bathtub Beach in Stuart.

“Really this is a needle-in-a-hay-stack type of recovery operation,” Budensiek said.

“He just got up early this morning to take some neat photos of the sunrise and got in the water, and according to family members just was not a strong swimmer,” Budensiek said. “And the surf today is pounding. Even a good swimmer today could get themselves in trouble.”

Nick is on the Centennial Boys Varsity Soccer team and is listed on MaxPreps. Blake Combs, the athletic director for St. Lucie West Centennial High School, said a game the team was scheduled to play Monday was canceled.

"The school and district will provide counseling services as needed to students and staff," said Lydia Martin, communications officer with St. Lucie Public Schools.

Martin County Fire Rescue teams suspended their search, but rescue workers with the Sheriff's Office and U.S. Coast Guard are continuing to look for the teen overnight, said Martin County sheriff's spokesperson Christine Cristofek

Lifeguards are flying double red flags at Martin County beaches, meaning the water is closed to the public. Red flag is high hazard -- high surf and/or strong currents.

Mauricio La Plante is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow him on Twitter @mslaplantenews or email him at [email protected].

Breaking news reporter Will Greenlee and sports reporter Bryan Cooney contributed to this report.

In the water, sargassum seaweed is considered harmless to people.

"Oh, man, I can't wait to go to the beach− what the?"

(Sees brown crunchy seaweed blanketing the beach and being tumbled in the waves like the brown blob that it is).

Ewww.

On a recent beach trip, brown seaweed was scattered across the sand at Humiston Beach Park in Vero Beach, especially during low tide. Beachgoers navigated to openings in the sand or pushed away the seaweed to set up for the day.

Prepare yourself. Sargassum seaweed spotted in Florida. Here's where it's going and when it will be worst

That's what it's been like lately to deal with sargassum seaweed if you go to a Florida beach. Days before the Memorial Day weekend, it was noticeably bad on Treasure Coast beaches. Take a look below.

What is sargassum seaweed?

Sargassum is a species of large brown seaweed, a type of macroalgae that floats in large masses.

On some beaches in Florida, the "blobs" of crunchy, dry, brown stinky seaweed are fairly large. In one of our photo galleries below, you'll see a small "mountain" of sargassum seaweed, and a black dog posing next to it. It's in the water, on the shore, surrounding beachgoers who just want to play in the sand.

Sargassum seaweed now in Pensacola.The seaweed sitch on Pensacola Beach is no cause for concern, experts say. Here's why

Is sargassum dangerous to humans?

In the water, sargassum is considered harmless to people.

On land, sargassum begins to rot and produces smelly hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which can irritate eyes, ears, and noses. People with asthma or other breathing illnesses may have trouble breathing if they inhale too much of it.

In open areas like beaches, however, moving air usually dilutes the gas to non-harmful levels.

The seaweed also contains tiny sea creatures, such as jellyfish larvae, that can irritate your skin on contact.

Sargassum seaweed at South Beach Park in Vero Beach, Florida

Sargassum seaweed at Avalon State Park in Fort Pierce, Florida

Sargassum seaweed at Pepper Park Beachside in Fort Pierce, Florida

Sargassum seaweed at Dollman Park Beachside in Jensen Beach, Florida

Sargassum seaweed at Hutchinson Island in Jensen Beach, Florida

Sargassum seaweed at Waveland Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida

Gross pictures of sargassum seaweed 'blobs' in Florida

Contributing: George Petras and Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY; Adam Neal, Crystal Vander Weit, Corey Arwood and Will Greenlee, TCPalm

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

UPDATE: The body of Nick Lovensen Alincy was recovered at Bathtub Beach in Stuart around 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reports. That’s about five miles south of where he was last seen, officials said.

The original story continues below.

A 17-year-old boy went missing in the Atlantic Ocean, just minutes after a photo session showed him greeting the sunrise with arms raised, according to Florida officials.

Nick Lovensen Alincy of Fort Pierce vanished around 6:45 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, in waters off Sea Turtle Beach, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Sea Turtle Beach is in Jensen Beach, about 115 miles north of Miami.

“A witness said it appears Nick got caught up in rough surf during an early morning swim that was pulling him further out into the water,” the sheriff’s office said.

Alincy and his girlfriend arrived at the beach at daybreak to take some “neat photos of the sunrise,” Chief Deputy John Budensiek said in an interview posted on Facebook by WPBF.

“Several individuals have since reported to us that a few yards down the beach, they also saw Mr. Alincy in the surf before he went under. (He) has not since resurfaced,” Budensiek said.

“Really, this is a needle in a haystack type of recovery operation.”

Alincy played soccer for the PSL Hurricanes FC, a youth club, and was “a dedicated student-athlete at St. Lucie West Centennial High School,” according to a fundraiser.

The search includes Martin County dive teams and aviation units, and officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, officials said.

Swift flowing rip currents that drag people out to sea are the most common cause of beach fatalities along Florida, according to the National Weather Service.

“Rip currents are often referred to as drowning machines by lifeguards,” NOAA reports.

“Speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second, but speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured. That is faster than an Olympic swimmer! Drowning deaths occur when people, pulled away from the shoreline, are unable to keep themselves afloat.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2023, 11:28 AM.