Body found in Great South Bay, police say

Suffolk police say they recovered a body early Thursday morning in the Great South Bay off Babylon.

They made the discovery at 6:45 a.m., police said, after more than four days of searching for missing boater James Jaronczyk of Massapequa. The 28-year-old was ejected from a 22-foot Progression boat after witnesses saw it hit a wave at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Suffolk County police were not immediately able to confirm the identity of the person found.

Jaronczyk's parents have described him as a competitive boat racer who was practicing in his boat near Babylon after leaving John J. Burns Park in Massapequa Park on Sunday morning.

Suffolk police boats and helicopters had searched the waters off Babylon since Sunday using sonar and dive teams.

Family members and friends used personal boats and jet skis to canvas the waters and called on private dive teams and firefighters to search nearby islands and marshes, using drones and underwater robotics.

Family members said Jaronczyk was an accomplished competitor in the Offshore Powerboat Racing Association and was preparing for a race in New Jersey.