ORANGE CITY, Fla. – Autopsy results on whether a man was killed by an alligator won't be ready until Wednesday.
Officials said three people were swimming at Blue Spring State Park Monday morning when one of them, 62-year-old James Okkerse, disappeared.
Okkerse's family said he would go to the park three times a week. On Monday, they got a news alert that a swimmer had gone missing and feared the worst.
"He was a great, all-around great guy," said Annette Lommerse, Jim's cousin. "Anybody who was friends with Jim, loved Jim."
Lommerse said Jim was the primary caregiver to his 90-year-old mother.
"I know when we've had family tragedies, he has been there for us and we would do the same for him, which we're doing now," Lommerse said.
Lommerse said that for 25 years, Okkerse would go to the park three times a week. He loved the outdoors and was extremely adventurous.
"It was just an odd coincidence when one of the news channels posted it, we called his phone," Lommerse said.
"We were swimming up and down and he just didn't come back," said Carol Anen. "I saw him floating around and thought he was diving. When I got there he totally disappeared. Totally completely disappeared."
News 6 got the incident report from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office that shows why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took over the investigation, "since there was obvious trauma to Okkerse's body consistent with accounts of an alligator attack."
Blue Spring State Park was back open to swimming Tuesday. Swimmers were not too concerned about their safety.
"It's an unusual circumstance. I'm not too concerned about it," Cary Young said.
Young visits the spring often and said the news of a possible gator attack isn't stopping him from going snorkeling.
"I've been here before, I've seen many gators here before and it's never been an issue," he said.
Mary Vosburgh feels the same way.
"I'm afraid of alligators, but I think we can be careful here. The water is crystal clear so you can definitely see them coming," Vosburgh said.
Vosburgh has been visiting Blue Spring for the last 20 years and said she's not staying out of the water until she knows exactly what happened.
"I'm questioning whether he was ever attacked by an alligator at all," she said.
FWC and Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrived and searched by boat and air looking for Okkerse. Authorities found a snorkeling mask and later, Okkerse's body. Anen said her friend is a strong swimmer and believed an alligator could be to blame.
"My husband said he saw a 9-foot gator," Anen said. "I saw a lot of disturbance in the water on my swim back and my husband yelled at me to get out of the water."
FWC officers searched for the alligator with guns drawn.
Story: Divers find body of missing snorkeler
"It's proper protocol, that's how they take the gator out," said Lenny Salsburg, an FWC officer.
FWC captured and killed a 12-foot alligator that they said was lurking in the water for the last few days, prompting officials to close the park for swimming. However, they didn't confirm if the alligator killed Okkerse.
"Life is meant to be lived and he lived it to the fullest," Lommerse said.