74-year-old drowns swimming out to boat that broke loose from dock, Florida cops say
The body of a 74-year-old man was recovered one day after he tried to stop his boat from floating away as it broke loose from a dock, a Florida sheriff’s office said.
James Summer, of Indiana, was at the Hosford Park boat launch with family on the evening of Dec. 12 when he put his boat in the water, according to a Dec. 13 news release from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Summer was a seasonal resident of Stuart, and was planning to drive his boat to his home, deputies said.
As his boat launched, it broke free from the dock and started to drift into the water with no one onboard, according to the release.
Summer jumped into the water and swam to the boat, hoping to pull himself onboard, deputies said.
His wife, identified by WPBF, saw Summer reach the boat and grab hold of its side, but then he slipped into the water.
She called the sheriff’s office, and multiple agencies responded to the dock to search for Summer, the outlet reported.
On Dec. 13, the sheriff’s office announced Summer’s body had been found 50 yards from the dock, about 12 feet under the water, according to the release.
“They faced a number of challenges including zero visibility, large debris, and the presence of numerous gators, however, they continued to search until they were successful at locating Mr. Summer,” the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said specialized sonar equipment was used to locate Summer.
Stuart is about 100 miles north of Miami.
This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 3:54 PM with the headline "74-year-old drowns swimming out to boat that broke loose from dock, Florida cops say."
