INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — What was supposed to be a day of angling for snapper, black drum and sheepshead at a popular fishing spot turned out to be an experience that fisherman Charles Floyd and his cousin will never forget. Instead of reeling in fish, the men found a body on the shoreline that Indian River deputies later identified as 44-year-old James Thompson, of Palm Bay.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Floyd said about the discovery, what would be one of two unrelated death finds less than three days apart. “Going fishing and stumbling across a body…that doesn’t happen every day.”
The body, and the subsequent discovery of another two days later by another fisherman a short walk away, would be at the center of a short mystery until the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office declared the deaths to be random incidents.
Both bodies captured the attention of the community.
Floyd, 40, also of Palm Bay, and his cousin went to the Sebastian River Bridge the afternoon of Monday, July 6. The day was mostly sunny at 91 degrees with 6 mph winds, along with a heat index of 107 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The cousins walked to the bottom of the bridge with fishing rods in their hands. It was Floyd’s first time at the fishing area where the St. Sebastian River connects with the Indian River Lagoon.
“We go fishing just about every other weekend (at different spots). It’s our favorite hobby because it brings so much peace and relaxation,” Floyd said. “Most of the time, I give the fish to the older people around my neighborhood.”
Floyd said his cousin noticed the body of a person who looked like they were resting. As they got closer, they noticed the body was lying face down.
“We called out to the man to see if he would respond,” Floyd said. “He never responded. We put down our fishing poles and ran to the man. His wrists were purple and blue.”
Floyd then called 911 and told dispatchers he and his cousin discovered the body. Indian River County sheriff’s officials released the three-minute audio from the call earlier this week.
Audio provided by Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
Floyd said the body was about 4 feet away from the water. The fisherman said the deceased man had on blue jeans, a black hoodie sweater and blue basketball shorts.
“He didn’t wash up,” Floyd said. “There were mangroves in the water that would’ve prevented the body from washing up.”
Riverside mystery draws attention
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers briefed the media Thursday on the discovery of Thompson’s body, along with another body found in the same area two days later. Thompson’s body was discovered on the southwest side of the bridge, which connects southern Brevard County to northern Indian River County.
Another fisherman found the body of a 65-year-old man on the southeast side.
Flowers said the bodies were about 100 yards apart from each other. The name of the second body has not yet been released.
The two deaths were not connected.
Flowers said Thompson suffered from fentanyl and mental health issues. The other man was on pre-trial release for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon out of Broward County and had a history of seizures.
Sheriff’s officials said they do not believe any foul play was suspected in either case.
“We have nothing that leads us to believe this is anything but two random incidents that unfortunately happened in the same area,” Flowers said. “Until we get the toxicology results back, we won’t be able to say exactly what caused the deaths in both cases.”
The sheriff thanked the fishermen for notifying law enforcement officials about the bodies.
“Kudos to the fisherman for coming forward and letting us know about the bodies,” Flowers said.
Floyd said he hopes Thompson’s family can have closure since his body was found.
“I send my condolences to the family. I’m sorry their loved one had to have been found that way, but I hope it brings closure,” Floyd said.
“And to the sheriff’s office, I would like to say thanks for being professional and handling the situation like they were trained to do.”
Photos by Joshua Kodis
