Deputies: Missing boater found dead

A man who went missing on Lake Beauclair on Wednesday was found dead Saturday morning, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

William Robl, 76, left Trimble Park and Boat Ramp at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. His boat was found going in circles at about 10:45 a.m. He was not on board.

Robl’s body was found at about 9 a.m. on Saturday, sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Williamson said.

“His body was discovered underwater by sonar about 30 yards from shore,” Williamson said. “A boat hovered around the spot until the dive team could come in and make the recovery.”

Family members fied the body.

Robl, of Pickett, Wis., spent winters in Florida since he retired, his son, Bill Robl, said on Friday. He usually stayed near Lake Beauclair, which is south of Mount Dora near the Orange-Lake county line.

“Fishing and hunting were his two favorite things in life,” Bill Robl said.

Before he retired, Robl built cabinetry and was a volunteer firefighter. In retirement he volunteered at a Wisconsin community center, “helping feed people older than himself,” his son said.

“He was a great guy. Had a heck of a lot of friends,” Bill Robl said.

Robl’s wife and one of his two daughters, who came to Florida with him, spent the days since he went missing “crying, anguishing,” Bill Robl said.

“You can imagine all the different scenarios that go through your head,” Bill Robl said. “We’re all going to miss him.”

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