A man died Friday afternoon after possibly drowning in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, where there are no lifeguards, a topic that town officials have been considering for months since the death of 7-year-old Sloan Mattingly in February.
Authorities received reports of a “possible drowning” about 11:45 a.m. at 2 Commercial Blvd., and a bystander was attempting to save the man’s life when Broward Sheriff’s deputies in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue arrived, the Sheriff’s Office said in an email Friday afternoon.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue took the man to Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale, where he was pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office said. Additional information was not released.
On May 22, bystanders tried to save a man after another possible drowning, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Sheriff’s Office said it did not provide any update on that incident as of Friday.
Man drowns off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, months after girl died in sand
Homicide and crime scene detectives are investigating.
In February, Sloan Mattingly, of Indiana, became completely buried underneath her 9-year-old brother, Maddox, when a hole they were digging in the sand collapsed on them. Sloan was pronounced dead after she was pulled from the sand without a pulse. Her brother survived.
Immediately following the tragedy, town officials revived a debate they’ve long had about whether to spend the money for lifeguards, which they don’t currently employ. A few residents who spoke at the February meeting discussing lifeguards gave differing opinions on the issue. Some said they believed adding signs at the beach would be enough and that lifeguards are not necessary.
An agenda for the town’s regular commission meeting held earlier this week detailed three separate possible plans for lifeguards or beach patrol of some kind: An option with the Sheriff’s Office that would cost over $765,000 annually; lifeguards and ocean rescue that would cost over $1 million annually; and beach patrol by code officer beach ambassadors that would cost no more than $260,000 annually but would “not provide any medical assistance and water rescue services to beach goers,” according to the agenda.
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