Search continues for man missing in Delaware River after midnight swim

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man is missing after he went into the Delaware River for an overnight swim early Friday and didn't resurface.

The man, who was identified as Carlo Gil by his family, was boating with a group near Hawk Island on the New Jersey side of the river when he entered the water around midnight, according to authorities.

Officials say he began struggling and then disappeared beneath the surface.

Friends gathered along the dock at the Linden Avenue Boat Ramp on the Philadelphia side of the river as Coast Guard and local fire crews launched a search that lasted about 11 hours following an initial mayday call around midnight.

"Once I heard that, I was in the club DJing, and I left everything to see if I can come out here," said friend Argeni Infante Reyes.

Reyes said Gil entered the water with another friend and began to struggle shortly before vanishing.

"He swam out of the boat with my other friend, and the last word he told my friend was, 'Hey, I can't no more. I love you," Reyes said.

Video posted to Gil's Instagram account showed him on a boat on the river earlier that day. Friends said he was part of a group that included three or four boats.

Authorities said a second person was initially in distress in the water but was helped by another nearby boat.

The Coast Guard led the search effort with assistance from Burlington County fire and police departments and New Jersey State Police.

"Our guys conducted searches from the Linden Avenue area to Neshaminy," said Senior Chief Dereck Casper of the U.S. Coast Guard, Philadelphia station.

Crews searched through the night and into the morning, using boats and aerial support while conducting pattern searches based on river drift.

"The Delaware River operates with two or three knots of current at any given point throughout the day, and two or three knots is enough to overcome strong swimmers," said Casper.

Luis Castro, of Northeast Philadelphia, witnessed the activity and tried to assist by searching along the shore.

"I saw all the commotion going on here," Castro said. "I wound up going up and down the river to see if we see anything and nothing yet."

Friends also continued their own search efforts on jet skis. They described Gil as a popular barber on Rising Sun Avenue and said they remain hopeful he will be found alive.

"Hope to God I'm going to find him alive. I still have hope because God is great," Reyes said.

As family holds onto hope, the Coast Guard is offering tips for anyone going out on the water: Always wear a life vest, and let loved ones know where you're going and when you expect to be home.