Possible Fort Myers Beach Drowning Under Investigation
Authorities are investigating the cause of death of a man whose body was found floating off the beach at Fort Myers, Florida, last Tuesday.
Fort Myers Beach Fire Rescue received a call for help late in the afternoon when the body of a man was spotted floating about 200 yards from shore along a sandbar, near the Estero Beach Club Condominiums. EMS workers swam out to the victim, who had already died by the time they arrived. A medical examiner was looking into the cause of death to see if this was actually a death by drowning.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will continue the investigation if the death was due to a boating accident. Otherwise, the investigation will move forward with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The victim's name had not been released.
Drowning Fatalities and Statistics
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...
- An average of 10 people in the U.S. die each day due to drowning.
- For the year 2005, fatal unintentional drownings accounted for 3,582 deaths. This includes drownings in fatal swimming pool accidents.
- Boating accidents accounted for another 710 deaths due to drowning and other causes.
- For children aged 1 to 14, fatal drowning is the number-two cause of unintentional injury-related death.
- The chance of drowning while engaging in water recreation in a natural setting, such as in a lake, pond, or the ocean, increases with age. For people over age 15, most drownings occur in natural water settings.
A Florida accidental drowning lawyer may be contacted by families who have lost a loved one in a swimming pool, boating, or other water-recreation accident -- including parasailing accidents -- to help sort out the details of who might be held liable. On Memorial Day, the Red Cross released a report revealing that nearly 50 percent of people surveyed said they had experienced a drowning scare in their lifetime.
Investigation continues into possible drowning at Fort Myers Beach
News-Press.com July 22, 2009
CDC: Water-Related Injuries: Fact Sheet
Related Web Resources
American Red Cross Water Safety Poll
