A Florida sheriff decried beachgoers for ignoring riptide warnings and harrassing officials tasked with keeping them safe just one day before former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett’s drowning death.
Mallett, who previously played for the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, died in a drowning accident at a Florida beach on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, a group of people had been struggling to make their way back to shore in Destin when Mallett went under. The 35-year-old was pronounced dead at a hospital.
On Monday, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said he was “beyond frustrated at the situation that we have with tragic and unnecessary deaths” in the Gulf of Mexico.
Rip currents claimed the lives of 11 people in the last two weeks, federal officials recently announced.
The deaths have spanned the gulf, between between Fort Morgan, Alabama, and Panama City Beach, Florida – where three people died in a single day last Saturday, according to weather service data.
Based in Panama City, the Bay County sheriff’s office has been posting warning messages on its Facebook account, urging tourists and beachgoers to stay safe.
Reacting to the string of deaths, Mr Ford on Monday wrote: “I have watched while deputies, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on fathers day.”
He criticised visitors for “giving the finger” and cursing these officials, when they are warned about “life-threatening dangers”.
Outlining how his office is working to ensure their safety, including fining people who enter the water despite double red flags, he added: “We have been diligently working with the TDC (Tourist Development Council), Commissioners and other partners to continually improve our response capabilities and messaging to make sure everyone knows the flag conditions.
“Yet, people are still dying.”
He explained that “personal responsibility” is the only way to keep people safe amid dangerous conditions on the beach. “Please make the effort to know the flag status and stay completely out of the water,” Mr Ford wrote. “Please be responsible and don’t put your life or theirs in danger.”
Since retiring from the NFL, Mallett was working as the head football coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas.
The school district confirmed news of his death in a statement that read: “It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett. Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator.
“We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers.”
