Posted on May 21, 2012.
WEEKI WACHEE — The body of a missing berry picker has been found, a Hernando County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said.
The Immokalee man was part of a crew picking berries in the Chassahowitzka Management Area, west of U.S. 19 just south of the Hernando-Citrus county line, Sgt. Donna Black said.
About 7 p.m. Saturday, crew members notified law enforcement that the man had not returned to their truck as scheduled. Sheriff's deputies and members of the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission started a ground and air search.
At 10 p.m., they found the man's body in a wooded area west of U.S. 19 and north of Centralia, Black said.
"The identity of the deceased Hispanic male is known but is not being released pending notification of next of kin," Black said.