Sunday at 5:20 pm Navarre Beach fire rescue was dispatched to 2 mile marker 36.5. That is the first parking lot on the eastern end of the national seashore for a drowning. Upon arrival at 5:23 rescue crews made contact with bystanders that stated there was a 30-year-old black male who was struggling and screaming for help. Witnesses stated that the male why is submerged in the gulf and never resurfaced. Navarre Beach Fire Rescue launched their wave runner at 5:25 PM and began conducting a search and Grid. At 5:33 the victim was located at the bottom in approximately 12 feet of water. Firefighter Grant Winterberry dove to the bottom and was able to get the approximately 240 pound male from the bottom of the gulf up to the rescue board attached to the Wave runner. Crews made their way back to the beach where CPR was started immediately. Crews were able to get a pulse back and the decision was made to fly the victim to Baptist Hospital in Gulf Breeze.
Unfortunately the victim later succumbed to the drowning. Escambia ladder 13 assisted with the landing of the helicopter. And off-duty Navarre Beach lifeguard also assisted with CPR and packaging the victim for transport. Flags were yellow.
