Divers located the body of 2nd Lt. Frank Stecco in Pohick Bay, approximately 100 feet from the point he was reportedly last seen. Boats, dogs and divers were actively searching when the discovery was made Saturday.

Stecco was playing a water-rescue victim in a police helicopter rescue exercise when he disappeared in the bay at 2:47 p.m. on Oct. 21. Extensive air, ground and water search and rescue efforts began immediately by various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

Police said the murky waters and the contours and makeup of the bottom of the bay made for a particularly difficult search.

The use of sonar and radar aided in the search. Divers also performed meticulous hand-by-hand searches within a grid pattern. They likened the search to dropping a quarter on a football field and attempting to find it by hand.

Col. David Rohrer, Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department, confirmed the recovery Saturday, saying, “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.”

Stecco joined the Fairfax County Police Department in 1989 and served 11 of his 19 years assigned to the Mount Vernon District station. He was awarded a Silver Medal of Valor in 1994, a Bronze Medal of Valor in 1997, and a Certificate of Valor in 2000 by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce for acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.

Stecco leaves behind his wife, three children, and his mother. Funeral services will be held Oct. 30 at the Cecil D. Hylton Chapel in Woodbridge, followed by an interment at Quantico National Cemetery.