FROSTPROOF, Florida — A boater jumped in a lake to retrieve his boat that was floating away, then he drowned, Florida authorities said.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified him as 52-year-old Pierre Richard Plourde of Frostproof.
Plourde was spending Sunday, September 14, with his family on Lake Clinch when he beached his boat in the sand and headed to a pavilion, Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Eventually, he looked over and noticed his boat had drifted off the beach and was floating out into the lake, so he ran down to the shore and jumped in the water to swim after it, according to the sheriff.
Witnesses said Plourde started struggling and yelled for help before he went under the water shortly before 2:30 p.m., deputies said.
One friend tried to rescue him, and witnesses called 911, but Plourde drowned before rescuers got to the boat ramp, Judd said.
“Within five minutes of deploying side-scan radar and an underwater drone, the PCSO Marine Unit located the victim’s body at the bottom of the lake, approximately 150 yards off shore,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The investigation is ongoing.
Lake Clinch in Frostproof is about a 75-mile drive southeast from Tampa.
Drowning
At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children.
Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment.
“Don’t hesitate to get out of the water if something doesn’t feel right,” the group said on its website. “Whether it’s that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. It’s always a good thing to trust your instincts.”
By OLIVIA LLOYD/McClatchy News
Read more