SOUTH BOWERS, Del.– The search for two men who went missing Tuesday while swimming in the South Bowers area ended with the recovery of their bodies on Wednesday morning.
Delaware State Police identified the victims as 21-year-old Kevin George Jr., of Philadelphia, and his brother, 20-year-old Zion George, of Tennessee.
According to police, the search effort got underway at around 3 p.m. Tuesday, when troopers responded to the Murderkill River/South Bowers area for a report of two swimmers who had been carried away by the strong water currents.
Police said the investigation revealed 21-year-old Kevin and Zion George, along with a 20-year-old woman from Philadelphia, and a 20-year-old man from Philadelphia, all traveled to the South Bowers Beach area together for a day trip at approximately 2 p.m.
The three men entered the water in the Delaware Bay to go swimming during low tide conditions. Police said that as three were in the water, the tide changed, and the strong current pulled all three into the Murderkill River.
Troopers said that during this time, the assistant chief of South Bowers Beach Fire Department Michael Hignutt and his cousin, Timothy Smith, were fishing in the area and heard cries for help. Both Hignutt and Smith entered the water in an attempt to rescue the swimmers. Hignutt successfully rescued the 20-year-old man to shore and discovered the woman had entered the water to try and save the other two swimmers. The woman was then pulled out by the current, and Hignutt successfully rescued her.
Kevin and Zion George were unable to be located, and multiple police, fire departments, maritime, and Emergency Medical Service agencies responded to the scene and conducted a search and rescue operation. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the brothers were unable to be located, and the search efforts were suspended until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Police said that at approximately 9 a.m., the operation turned into a search and recovery mission for Kevin and Zion George.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., Kevin George's body was located in the Murderkill River in close proximity to where he was last seen. At 10:45 a.m., Zion George's body was located in the same general area.