A 75-year-old unresponsive man was pulled from the ocean in Flagler Beach April 28, just days before lifeguards go on duty, according to a city official.
The man was in the water in the area across from Finn’s off State Road 100 and A1A around noon, said Tom Gillin, the city’s ocean rescue director.
The ocean was rough and at first people didn’t know whether the man was in trouble, he said. But someone called the fire department and firefighters transported the man to shore.
The man was unresponsive when he was placed in an ambulance and transported to a hospital, Gillin said.
Gillin said he did not know whether the man survived, and, if he did, what his condition was.
Flagler Beach lifeguards start staffing towers May 2 and 3
Lifeguards were not yet on duty at Flagler Beach.
May 2 and 3 is the first weekend they begin staffing the towers Saturdays and Sundays until Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25, when the towers are then staffed seven days a week until Labor Day. Then lifeguards return to weekends only, Gillin said.
Lifeguards will staff towers from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. from Eighth Street South to Seven Street North, which is basically the area covered by the boardwalk, he said.
Unknown if rip current affected man swimming at Flagler Beach
Gillin said he didn’t know whether a rip current played any part in the Tuesday’s incident.
But he said had lifeguards been on duty, Tuesday would have been a red flag day, signaling people to stay out of the water.
“It was just generally rough,” Gillin said of the ocean. “And it sounds like he got out there and couldn’t get back in and that’s usually when panic sets in.”
He said drownings and water rescues are unusual on rough days because people stay on shore.
“When it’s really rough people see it and stay out, but when we have moderate conditions people don’t think it looks as bad, so they are liable to take more chances,” Gillin said.
Gillin also added that it’s possible the man had a medical emergency while out in the water.
“It’s sad,” Gillin said. “You hate to see these things happen.”
Fire Chief Stephen Cox did not immediately respond to a message from The News-Journal seeking additional information.
This story will be updated when new information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Unresponsive man pulled from ocean in Flagler Beach
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
