HOLMES BEACH – A day at the beach ended in tragedy on May 18 when an unidentified 75-year-old man drowned in the Gulf of Mexico near the 77th Street beach access.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Marshall Rodney Kwiatkowski said that the man was visiting the beach with his wife when he went for a swim. Red flag warnings were posted at Manatee Beach about 25 blocks away, cautioning the public about unsafe water conditions.
Officials believe that the man fell victim to rip currents and high surf conditions. Kwiatkowski said he believes the victim was visiting Anna Maria Island from England and was not a local resident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends,” Kwiatkowski said. “West Manatee Fire Rescue cautions even the strongest of swimmers from entering the water during red flag hazard conditions.”
Beach conditions can be viewed daily online at www.safebeachday.com/manatee-public-beach.
The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay/Ruskin issued a rip current statement for coastal Manatee County, including Anna Maria Island, on May 18 at 7:41 a.m. The warning expired at 8 p.m. that evening, but red flags remained at Manatee Beach the next morning.
Swimmers caught in a rip current are advised not to fight the current to get back to shore. Instead, use the current to float out until you can safely swim parallel to shore to get out of the current, then swim back into shore
