AFTER THREE DAYS OF SEARCHING: The body of a Serbian man missing in San Francisco was found, here’s how he died!

It was a Saturday morning, August 23. In San Francisco, Nikola Tomašević spent almost an hour on the phone with his family in Serbia, laughing and reciting poems with his sister and her small children. Before he ended the call, he told his family he was going for a swim and that he might call them later to continue reciting poems.

But that call never came, his family reveals.

Tomašević (35), an experienced swimmer and a member of the “Dolphin” club, went missing while swimming in the Aquatic Park in San Francisco on Saturday morning. His body was found on Tuesday by divers from the city police department in cooperation with a group of volunteers, officials said. He was found in the Aquatic Park Cove area, from where he had gone for a casual swim, but he never returned.

“FOUR HOURS IS A LOT”

That Saturday, at around 10 a.m., Tomašević and his swimming partner went for a swim but got separated in the water. The woman, who was not a member of the “Dolphin,” planned to finish the route at a public beach, while Tomašević intended to return to the club facility. A few hours later, after she failed to contact him, she reported him missing to the club.

Swimmers and kayakers began to search for Tomašević in the water, then firefighters, and then the police.

“Four hours is a lot,” revealed Lieutenant Mariano Elias, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, referring to the time that had passed since Nikola was last seen until the report of his disappearance.

Fire crews searched for him on land and water, he said. They searched the water using the aerial ladders of a truck company, as well as with water scooters and boats with sonars.

The Coast Guard also assisted in the search using its helicopter and rescuers, who were lowered into the water and searched for more than an hour without success, he said. Their search was halted on Saturday at 3:41 p.m., fire department officials announced.

The search was continued by a police unit using divers and remotely operated sonars and cameras.

Tomašević was last seen in the water near the “Eureka,” a steamboat in the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, said Brendan Sheehan, an assistant manager at the “Dolphin.”

Sheehan told the “San Francisco Chronicle” that Tomašević – who swam in the park three to five days a week – often circled the Aquatic Park Cove, a route that was about a mile (1.6 kilometers) long and could take about an hour.

“Nikolas was a really wonderful guy,” Sheehan said. “He just really loved the club and lived in the neighborhood, right down the street.”

WIFE: “HE WAS THE BEST PERSON”

Nikola’s wife, Aleksandra Ivanova, said they were married in 2023 and described her husband as a “pillar” of the Serbian-American community in San Francisco. She also mentioned that he had a history of epilepsy.

“Now I’m between crying and shock,” she said. “You would never think this would happen. He was the kindest and best person.”

Tomašević was born in Zimbabwe and spent his childhood in Belgrade, his mother, Aleksandra Russo, told the “Chronicle.” He finished his last year of high school in Kentucky, where he played basketball. Years later, he settled in San Francisco, where he met Ivanova, said Russo, who lives in Belgrade.

MOTHER: “A GENTLE SOUL, A NOBLE HEART”

“Nikolas was a gentle soul, a noble heart that was always ready to help others,” his family wrote in a statement to the “Chronicle.” “A tall man, two meters, but with an even bigger heart.”

Tomašević’s mother said that he had a great love for water, swimming, cycling, and motorcycling, nature, and he also cared for animals. He adored his friends and family, with whom he had an “unbreakable bond,” they stated. Living with epilepsy was a challenge, but it did not prevent Tomašević from engaging in the activities he loved, including swimming and basketball.

Colleagues at Coqueta, Michael Chiarello’s Spanish tapas restaurant, where Tomašević worked, are also unable to come to terms with their grief.

Harry Tanielian, the general manager of Coqueta, said that Tomašević was a “devoted” employee who had been working as a waiter since 2018.

“Known for his kindness, generosity, intelligence, and warmth, he was loved not only for his professional contributions but also for the beautiful spirit he brought into the lives of the people around him,” says Tanielian.

Diana Walton, a former president and member of the “Dolphin,” said that a memorial service is planned at the club.

“Our hearts are broken, but we are grateful to everyone who helped us resolve this tragic situation,” she said.