Our community in Fort Pierce is heavy with grief following the tragic drowning of 16-year-old Jonathan Peralta Leon at Pepper Park Beach.
This heartbreaking incident occurred Sunday night, as confirmed by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Morgan Harmon, a lieutenant with Ocean Rescue, expressed the seriousness of the beach conditions: “It’s extremely dangerous right now. We’ve had these conditions for about two weeks.”
Jonathan’s sister, Johanna, shared her sorrow with WPTV, saying: “With a heavy heart I say goodbye to you, my little brother. May you rest easy. I hope to see you again in another lifetime. This world doesn’t feel the same without you.”
A mother of one of Jonathan’s friends fondly recalled him, stating, “He was a very respectful young man. He would call me ‘Old Senora,’ then laugh and say, ‘I love you.’”
At Pepper Park Beach, where red flags are currently flying, Harmon noted, “Green flag days are few and far in between.”
While the beach is typically guarded until 5 p.m., deputies reported that Peralta Leon drowned around 7 p.m. Sunday evening.
"It was about an hour after we got off duty. A couple of us were still in the area, so we came back to see if there was anything we could do," Harmon said.
Unfortunately, the only individuals he encountered were Jonathan’s two friends, who had managed to make it out safely.
“The people who were in trouble were a little shaken up, but mainly everyone was just out here checking to make sure nobody else was in the water,” Harmon said.
As the community mourns, loved ones have turned to social media to share photos and heartfelt messages honoring Jonathan — a young man celebrated as a wonderful person taken far too soon.
In memory of Jonathan, his family has also established a GoFundMe page.
