Search on for Florida boaters missing in lake near Legoland

Authorities searched Sunday for two boaters who were missing and believed drowned in an accident on a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Authorities searched Sunday for two boaters who were missing and were believed to have drowned in an accident on a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference that the two men had jumped into Lake Eloise to save a third person from their group, a woman, who was struggling in the water. The men became separated from the boat and have not been seen since Saturday evening.

The third person, 38-year-old Velcky Velazques, was rescued by sheriff’s deputies who had been summoned when a 10-year-old girl on the boat dialed 911 on a cellphone. That child and an 8-year-old girl remained on the boat as it drifted and were rescued safely by the deputies, who had commandeered a fishing boat whose owner cooperated in the effort, Judd said.

The lake, adjacent to Legoland in Winter Haven, was rough on Saturday with 20 mph winds and some whitecaps, Judd said. He added that the weather issues were compounded by inexperience on the part of the boaters, who had rented the vessel for an outing that day.

The problems began when the Velazques jumped into the water with an anchor, the sheriff said.