Missing Long Island Swimmer Turns Up In South Carolina

Raymond Roth, the Long Island swimmer who disappeared after swimming into the ocean near Jones Beach on Saturday has turned up in South Carolina. However, his body didn’t wash up on the shore or anything overwhelmingly dramatic like that. Instead, Roth was picked up for speeding in the state, and claimed he had no knowledge of the incident which transpired over the weekend.

According to The New York Times, a 22-year-old man claiming to be Roth’s son called 911 on Saturday and said that his father had gone missing while swimming near Jones Beach. Since he was preoccupied with text messages and what-not, he wasn’t keeping track of where his father was or now far he had ventured out. New York State Park Police immediately launched a rescue operation involving helicopters, boats, and beach patrol officers. Although his family was fearful of their loved one’s well-being, witnesses who were seated near Roth’s son at the beach don’t recall seeing Raymond.

The case took a decidedly bizarre turn when Robert Roth, Raymond’s brother, phoned police to report that his sibling wasn’t missing off the coast of Long Island. In fact, he was in Florida over the weekend, and his wife knew precisely where he was the entire time. When Raymond was pulled over by South Carolina police, he admitted that he was on his was from Orlando to New York, and intended to clear up this situation as soon as possible.

Captain Bruce Marx, commanding officer of the State Police on Long Island, described the whole situation as “sketchy.” Although the investigation into Roth’s whereabouts has been called off, authorities are now looking into whether or not the drowning was staged.

Evana Roth, Raymond’s wife, explained via her lawyer that she believed her missing husband had died while swimming near Jones Beach. Other family members have refused to comment on the case, according to The Times.