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65-year-old drowns behind Hidden Dunes Resort (UPDATE)
SANTA ROSA BEACH — A 65-year-old man drowned Monday afternoon behind Hidden Dunes Resort.
Emergency personnel responded to a 1:20 p.m. call that bystanders were performing CPR on a man at the beach. The man’s identity and place of residence have not been released.
The South Walton Fire District units took the man to Sacred Heart Hospital in cardiac arrest, said Deputy Chief Sean Hughes in a media release.
“The incident is under investigation by the medical examiner’s office to determine the actual cause of death,” Hughes said.
The suspected drowning is the first in Walton County this season.
Walton County Beach Safety Director Gary Wise stressed the importance of paying attention to the posted beach flags. He said he flew red flags before the conditions met the criteria.
“The beach flags are flying for a reason. It wasn’t even a very strong current today. It was a very mild red flag day today … a borderline yellow day,” Wise said.
At the time of the incident, the beach warning flags were red indicating a high hazard, for rough conditions such as strong surf and/or currents.
The flags were changed to red as a precursor to increasing swells expected this week. Tropical Storm Alex is forecast to gain strength as it enters the Gulf of Mexico. The associated wind fields will produce high surf conditions for the remainder of the week, Hughes said.
The SWFD urges all beachgoers to know their swimming capabilities and understand and heed the beach safety warning flags and the direction of lifeguards.
Also on Monday, Destin Beach Safety responded to an afternoon drowning call with happier results.
A young man was pulled from the water at 4 p.m. Division Chief Joe D’Agostino said the drowning man could not swim.
“We pulled the young man back onto the shore. He never lost consciousness and never stopped breathing,” D’Agostino said.
Destin Beach Safety made changes this year to increase patrol hours.
“Last year, we had three drownings after hours,” D’Agostino said. “We worked within our budget to try and extend lifeguard hours and one of the things we did was split shifts.”
Since changing the shifts, there have been no drowning deaths on Destin beaches, he said.
