The body of a 27-year-old San Diego resident, reported missing over the weekend, was found Tuesday off the coast of Tijuana, according to Mexican officials and family members.
Víctor Oswaldo Villarreal was last seen Friday swimming to a sailboat he had rented in the U.S. to spend the day with his family in the Real Mediterraneo beachfront neighborhood of Tijuana.
He intended to return in a dinghy, but when it malfunctioned, Villarreal decided to try making the swim, officials said. At the time, it was high tide and the seas were rough, with the region on alert in preparation for a coming storm, said Juan Hernández, head of the Tijuana Fire Department’s water rescue division.
Rubén Ramos Jiménez, Tijuana’s regional prosecutor, confirmed that the body was found in Punta Bandera, and that a family member at the scene recognized Villarreal by his tattoos.
He said that although the man presumably drowned, investigators are still awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Tijuana Congressman Sammy Peña, uncle of Villarreal, thanked all the agencies and community members who helped during the search. “We have received a lot of support, and I’m very grateful,” he said.
Peña described his nephew as “a nice kid — an athlete, surfer and swimmer.”
The Tijuana and Rosarito fire departments, as well as Civil Protection, the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Mexican Navy and about 20 volunteers participated in the three-day search, officials said.
On social media, Villarreal’s family requested drones and jet skis to help in the search on both sides of the border.
