Body of missing North Topsail Beach drowning victim found in Sneads Ferry

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, N.C. (WITN) - The body of the man who apparently drowned after trying to rescue his stepdaughter from the ocean at North Topsail Beach has been found.

North Topsail Beach police say around 10:40 a.m. today, a boater reported seeing a dead person in the water near Canal Drive in Sneads Ferry.

Onslow County deputies and North Topsail Beach police gave a preliminary identification of the body as that of missing drowning victim Marquest Page Jr. The body will be positively identified at the medical examiner’s office.

Page was last seen entering the ocean last Monday afternoon. Search efforts were suspended on Friday evening after officials said they had exhausted available resources in their search for him.