Auburndale police said two men had been fishing at Lake Stella when one of them hooked something heavy at about 3:30 p.m. on Monday, according to CBS affiliate WTSP.
As the fisherman reeled in the gravy catch, he realized it appeared to be a person. Concerned by what they had found, one of the men rushed to call his dad.
After the father arrived at the banks of Lake Stella, they confirmed it was indeed a real human body and called the police, the network reported.
When police arrived, they determined the dead body was that of a 40-year-old man who lived in the area and had recently returned, according to WTSP.
Officers determined the body had most likely been in the lake for about one or two days before being found.
In an update obtained by the network, the Auburndale Police Department said: “There were no obvious signs of trauma. An autopsy is pending.”
A medical examination of the body could take several days to complete, investigators told WTSP.
Police had still been unable to contact the dead man’s family and were still attempting to reach out to any next of kin, the network reported.
Officers have not released the man’s name as they are still attempting to contact members of his family.
Anyone who believes they witnessed something over the weekend that could be related to the man and Lake Stella is asked to call Auburndale Police Detective Alex Pena at 863-965-5555.
Newsweek has contacted the Auburndale Police Department for comment.
In February 2021, the body of a man was found floating in a pond at Colorado’s Hyland Hills Golf Course.
At the time, witnesses reported seeing fire rescue patrol cars at the scene with Michael Hartman commenting on Twitter: “Several police cars surrounding the lake on the 9 hole course running along Sheridan Road.”
In 2020, the body of then-missing Glee actor Naya Rivera was found following a search of Lake Piru, California.
The actress, 33, died while she was on a boating trip with her then 4-year-old son Josey in July of that year. Her rental boat was found drifting in the California lake while Josey was sleeping on board.
Lake Piru is said to be notorious for drownings due to its strong currents and cold temperatures that can prove difficult for even experienced swimmers.
Max O’Brien, one of the divers involved in the search, told CBS Los Angeles: “Under the water, it’s a lot by feel. There’s a lot of shrubbery and sticks that we have to break through as we’re going through, so it’s kind of a braille search.”