4 Die in Separate Water Incidents in S. Fla.
By David Ovalle, David Smiley And D, The Miami Herald
Sep. 3–As revelers prepared for Labor Day across South Florida, three people died in the ocean, a boy drowned in a backyard pool and a toddler escaped from another pool with his life.
The 5-year-old boy was found by relatives floating in the pool of a Miramar home at 7716 Harbour Blvd. They called for help. Paramedics performed CPR on the boy and rushed him to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died.
"That seems to be the weakest link in all these situations," Miramar Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Bill Huff said of family backyard parties. "Nobody was watching the pool."
That was the case in Miami-Dade also on Sunday, when relatives found a 2-year-old boy in a house pool at 1960 NE 199th St. Rushed to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, the boy survived.
In Sunny Isles Beach on Sunday, an unnamed 60-year-old woman was found floating face down near the waters off Trump Towers, 15800 Collins Ave.
"Bystanders thought she was snorkeling," said Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue Cpt. Shanti Hall. The woman had drowned.
On Saturday in Tavernier, two Orlando men who were snorkeling met their demise in separate accidents, authorities said.
A 25-foot boat ran over a snorkeler, Omar J. Viera, 31, in the ocean near Bahia Honda State Park.
Viera’s dive flag was too small. The boat captain saw it too late. He heard a thump. Two severe propeller wounds to the head killed Viera.
Matthew Kleber, 37, also of Orlando, was found dead on the ocean floor near Islamorada, said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He had been in the Keys to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
In other incidents, four people were injured after their 20-foot boat plunged 70 feet into a mangrove patch near Tavernier Creek. Some 20 officers helped rescue the boaters.
Bobby Dube, a FFWC spokesman, told the Associated Press Saturday was the busiest day he’d seen in 18 years.
"It was just one thing after another," Dube said.
Despite the deaths, swimmers on crowded beaches found mostly calm waters, said Hank Oppenborn, a supervisor for Miami Beach Ocean Rescue.
Mostly, beachgoers suffered from occasional stingray wounds and heat exhaustion; some people simply drank too much alcohol.
"Our main problem is the heat," Oppenborn said.
He warned Monday revelers to eat breakfast and drink plenty of water.
By David Ovalle, David Smiley and Diana Moskovitz
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