Body of Missing Helicopter Pilot Recovered

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office divers have recovered the body of John Lawrence Ward, 60, of Davis Islands, whose R-22 helicopter crashed in shallow waters off Apollo Beach around 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30.

The flight originated from Clearwater’s Tampa Bay Aviation.

According to a media alert, sheriff's office divers recovered Ward's body at the crash site of the helicopter.

"The body will be taken ashore and turned over to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office where an autopsy will determine official cause of death," according to the sheriff's office.

The crash remains under investigation, the remaining portion of which will be turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, the alert stated.

See also: Missing Helicopter Pilot Identified