Sarasota man found dead in Benderson Park lake

Investigators with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of a 2021 Sarasota High graduate at Nathan Benderson Park this morning, authorities said.

According to a spokeswoman for the department, deputies and units from Sarasota County Fire-Rescue responded to the park around 4:30 a.m. following a 9-1-1 call regarding someone struggling in the water.

Friday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 18-year-old Jalen Smith. 

The sheriff’s office said deputies learned two people had taken a paddleboat into the middle of the lake in the predawn darkness and jumped off when the vessel malfunctioned.

One of the pair reached shore and called for help when Smith seemed to have trouble swimming.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office dive team recovered Smith's body around 11 a.m. in the north end of the lake.

Investigators notified family members Friday afternoon. Authorities said there was nothing immediate to indicate the death was anything but accidental, but the investigation is ongoing. A cause of death will be determined by the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office. 

Smith was a 2021 graduate of Sarasota High and played football and basketball for the school. 

Coach Brody Wiseman said on social media that "our community lost one of the best ones."

"Jalen will always be loved and remembered by myself, his teammates, and our community,'' he wrote on Twitter. "Please pray for the Sailors."

 Students and faculty gathered in the school's gymnasium on Friday afternoon for a memorial.