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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- A 19-year old man missing since Friday has been found. His body was in a pond near Saltair.
Friends say Joseph Schmidt is not the type of person to take his clothes off and go for a swim in the dark, but sheriff's deputies believe that is possibly what he did.
"Up until today, family and friends were out looking for him, and they were the ones that discovered him," said Salt Lake County sheriff's Deputy Levi Hughes.
Schmidt disappeared Friday night after the "Get Funky" party at Saltair. Friends say he got kicked out for bringing lights into the rave. They say they hung out with Schmidt outside then went back into the party.
About an hour later, the friends came back out to find Schmidt's car and car keys, but there was no sign of the teen.
Schmidt's family reported him missing to the sheriff's office, which joined in the search. "Some signs were made up. We had no information to tell us where he went," Hughes said.
Deputies say based on the body's condition, Schmidt was likely in the water since Friday. "It appears that this gentleman probably rose above the water in the past 24 hours," Hughes said.
A deputy combed the banks of the pond in a kayak, looking for Schmidt's clothes and any personal items. Because he had no clothes on, investigators suspect he may have gone for a swim and drowned. They say the calm water can be deceiving.
"The bottom is murky. It's sticky and mucky, and it would be very easy to get stuck in a body of water like this. If there's nobody around to help you get out, you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation," Hughes said.
Investigators say there were no signs of trauma on the body, but an autopsy is being done. They are also looking into whether drugs were involved.
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Story compiled with contributions from Sandra Yi and Marc Giauque.
