Body Of Missing Swimmer Found In Waters Off Crane Beach

Updated Friday at 7 p.m.

IPSWICH, MA — The search for a 28-year-old man believed to have attempted a morning swim from Crane Beach to Plum Island Friday morning ended with the apparent location of the missing swimmer's body.

Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas said the U.S. Coast Guard notified police the body was found late Friday afternoon.

Nikas said officers were called to Crane Beach about 9:30 a.m. when park rangers found a backpack on the beach. Officers determined the bag belonged to a 28-year-old Eric Pecina, whose car was outside the gate.

A body was found unresponsive near Grape Island, which is in Plum Island Sound in Ipswich.

"The individual meets the description of the individual we have been looking for," Nikas told reporters.

The man's friends said he was planning to go swimming at the beach early Friday morning and was believed to have arrived before the gates opened at 8 a.m.

The average ocean water temperature for Cape Ann beaches in April is 44 degrees.

Weather conditions made things more challenging for rescue teams. There was a small craft advisory in the area because of wind gusts between 20-to-30 knots and waves 1-to-3 feet high.

The search, which was ongoing as of early Friday afternoon, included two boats, a helicopter, a plane, Quincy Police Marine Unit and the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)