BREVARD COUNTY, Fla — The body of 18-year-old who drowned in strong rip currents Friday was recovered early Monday morning.

He was identified as Benjamin Pierre Gilles by authorities late in the afternoon by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

It’s the fourth drowning in the last several weeks on the beaches in the south part of Brevard County.

What You Need To Know

  • The body of 18-year-old, identified as Benjamin Gilles, who drowned in strong rip currents was recovered early Monday morning

  • It's the fourth drowing in the last several weeks on Brevard County beaches

  • The incident comes as many schools are on spring break, and lifeguards are strongly urging beach patrons to swim in protected areas

​Each morning you’ll find Betty Gardner Gonzalez walking the along the sand near her south Melbourne Beach home.

She enjoys the sunrise and exercise.

“I run or walk depending on the tides. This morning I decided to go north instead of south,” Gonzalez tells us.

Much to her shock, that decision put her where deputies held the scene where the 18-year-old man’s body had washed up.

“The riptides have been bad for the past two to three weeks,” she said.

Investigators say the teen and a friend were swimming off the Indialantic boardwalk Friday afternoon.

The friend was able to get out of the water, but he was caught in a rip current and went under.

A massive water and air search got underway. It continued Saturday and Sunday.

Late Sunday, the Coast Guard suspended the search. The man’s body was found washed up early Monday, several miles south of where he disappeared.

More and more people are coming to the beaches right now. Brevard County Schools, like many other districts, are on Spring Break.

If you are caught in a current, don’t fight it.

Swim out of it, then to shore.

If you can’t escape, float or tread water and call or wave if you need help.

Gonzalez says this latest drowning is just as tragic as the others and rip currents are to be taken seriously.

“It’s easy to get caught in one. I’ve been caught in one, born and raised around this area my whole life. It happens,” she said. “But people need to be aware. They need to be calm if they do get in one and not to panic.”

Lifeguards strongly urge beach patrons to swim in lifeguard protected areas. Right now, five of their year round towers are operational along with 11 seasonal ones, which opened a week early this year due to the incidents.