Death investigation underway after body found in Lehigh Acres canal

A death investigation in Lehigh Acres began near a canal along Connecticut Road and Jefferson Drive Tuesday evening.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed it is investigating a death at the location. The sheriff’s office said that a man’s body was found floating face down in the middle of the canal around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

LCSO did not say if the death appeared suspicious.

LCSO vehicles surrounded the streets, with police tape blocking off the entrance to a bridge on Connecticut Road.

Less than an hour before the tape was put up a white truck with a man wearing a shirt that read ‘FWC Alligator Trapper’ was let into the scene.

FWC told WINK News that LCSO contacted the statewide nuisance alligator number to help them remove a nearby alligator that was creating a hazard for investigators.

In a statement, FWC told WINK News in part, “LCSO was working an investigation near a water body and the alligator was a concern to the safety of the investigators. At this time, there is no reason to believe that the alligator was involved in the incident being investigated by LCSO.”

Neighbor Manuela Moya, talked about what she said she saw. “We were in the swimming pool and we saw something floating in the canal and usually it’s either an alligator or a big, you know, something that’s always floating, but we never expected to see a body. And it was a body, looks like a man too,” Moya said.