Fairfax County police on Saturday recovered the body of a missing police officer in Pohick Bay.
Police spokesman Eddy Azcarate said that at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, divers located 2nd Lt. Frank Stecco about 100 feet from where he was last seen.
Stecco failed to resurface during a helicopter water rescue exercise on Tuesday. Stecco volunteered to portray a victim during the training exercise.
Federal and local authorities assisted in the recovery effort. Officials said murky waters and the contours and makeup at the bottom of the bay made the search especially difficult.
Officials said technology aided in searching potential areas where Stecco may have been. Divers turned to meticulous hand-by-hand searches within a grid pattern. Divers likened the search to dropping a quarter on a football field and attempting to find it by hand, according to police.
Stecco's body was transported with full honors with a motorcycle escort to the medical examiner's office.
Stecco had served with Fairfax County police for 19 years. He is survived by his mother, wife and three children.
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"My heart goes out to Frank's family; my heart goes out to his police family; and my heart goes out to the community Frank worked in and loved," said Police Chief David Rohrer.
