As members and friends of the Molter family dealt with the boating tragedy that beset them on Saturday, the body of a Naples man missing in the accident was found at approximately 1:30 p.m. Monday.

James Molter

A dive team of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office found the body of 20-year-old James Molter near the location of the accident. The body arrived at the sheriff’s substation on Marco Island around 3:30 p.m. and was transported to the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Dani Moschella, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the lead agency for the investigation of the crash, said that she could not confirm a report that Molter’s body showed signs of trauma when it was found.

The FWC won’t know whether the impact of the accident or drowning was the cause of death until the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office releases the autopsy report.

With members of the local boating community in general stunned, the accident off Big Marco Pass took the lives of three other Naples residents. Killed were the operator of the 32-foot Powerplay boat, Harper Simpson, 31, of 508 St. Andrews Blvd. and passengers Linda Molter, 41, of 15095 Summit Place Circle and her 22-year-old daughter, Meagan. Sixteen-year-old Jennifer Molter survived the crash.

Five fishermen in a boat told the FWC that the vessel was traveling at a high rate of speed around sunset Saturday. Moschella said that the boat may have hit a large wave or a wake.

The fishermen were able to pull Jennifer Molter out of the water. They unsuccessfully attempted CPR on one of the victims.

The damaged vessel was transported Sunday by Sea Tow to the Marco River Marina. A fork-lift hoisted the boat onto a trailer.

Moschella believes that autopsies had been performed on Simpson and Linda and Meagan Molter.

The reports will go directly to the FWC. Investigators of the agency may not receive the reports for weeks, according to Moschella. She said that the examiner’s office performed toxicology tests on the bodies for any traces of drugs or alcohol.

Moschella couldn’t confirm a report that the vessel had a stress crack.

Alan Molter, the husband and father of members of the family involved in the accident, had stated Sunday that he had noticed a stress crack in the boat they were using.

Molter told the Naples Daily News that Simpson purchased the vessel nearly three weeks ago. Molter said he noticed a stress crack, but wasn’t sure the crack was there before Simpson bought the boat.

“The main question we want to answer is what caused the crash,” Moschella said. “What happened just before the crash.”

FWC investigators are going over the remains of the 32-foot Powerplay boat inch by inch.

“They are going to glean any information that they can from that vessel,” Moschella added.

She reported earlier that none of the five people in the boat at the time of the accident were wearing life vests.

Unlike laws that require motorists and their passengers to wear seat belts as a safety precaution, boaters are required to have life vests, also known as Personal Flotation Devices, on their crafts. But they are not required by law to wear them, Moschella said.

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