The body of a boater who went missing off a rowboat in Fort Pond in Montauk on Sunday evening was recovered by East Hampton Town Police Dive Team members on Monday shortly after 5 p.m.
Using side-scan sonar, the dive team found "an image consistent with that of a human body" at a depth of about 30 feet and were then able to retrieve the body of 42-year-old Jeffrey B. Gantt of Manhattan, according to a news release.
Mr. Gantt had been in the rowboat with three other people, including his girlfriend, according to witnesses. When an oar went overboard, he dove into the water to retrieve it and was "unable to swim back to the boat," police said.
East Hampton Town Police and Marine Patrol along with the Montauk and Sag Harbor Fire Departments and members of East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue searched the pond on Sunday night.
The Montauk Fire Department brought in trucks with tower ladders to light the surface of the water, and searchers on personal watercraft, fire department boats, and paddleboards continued to look for Mr. Gantt until about 10 p.m. The search was suspended for the night at about 10:30, and continued on Monday morning with the aid of the police dive team, a drone unit from the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, and the Suffolk County police aviation unit. Individual boaters also helped in the effort.
Conditions were windy Sunday evening, with the National Weather Service records saying southeast gusts were around 23 miles per hour. A witness said the boat was blown away from where Mr. Gantt dove in, and that his companions were unable to return to that location because they only had one oar. By Monday there was significant fog in the area.
According to his social media profiles, Mr. Gantt was a managing partner of Huckleberry Bar in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The well-reviewed establishment has been around since 2007 and is known for its craft cocktails and events like ugly sweater holiday parties and D.J. nights. Mr. Gantt had recently organized a GoFundMe campaign for his staff.
"We are reaching for a helping hand. Please help us try to make our comeback when the Covid-19 outbreak allows us to. No donation is too small and will [be] greatly appreciated. We look forward to the day when we can welcome you all back!" he wrote on the Huckleberry Bar website.
The Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office and East Hampton Town detectives are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information has been asked to call town police at 631-537-7575.
This story has been updated since it was first published. With Reporting by David E. Rattray and Christine Sampson
