TWO OCCUPANTS WENT KAYAKING IN THE GULF BEHIND THE SUNSET INN ON PANAMA CITY BEACH. THE OCCUPANTS WERE ONE ADULT MALE AND ONE JUVENILE MALE, WHO SUFFERED FROM DOWN SYNDROME. THE ADULT MALE TRIED TO GET THE JUVENILE TO WEAR A PFD, BUT HE REFUSED. THEY HAD JUST LEFT SHORE AND WERE PADDLING WHEN A WAVE ROLLED THEM OVER. THE ADULT STATED THAT THEY WERE ONLY ABOUT 50 YARDS FROM SHORE AND THE SURF WAS ABOUT TWO TO THREE FEET. operator SAID WHEN THEY FELL OUT OF THE KAYAK, THE WAVES CONTINUED TO PUSH THE KAYAK TOWARDS SHORE AND HE COULDN'T GRAB IT. operator SAID THE UNDERTOW WAS STRONG AND victim PANICKED. BY THE TIME operator COULD GET victim TO SHORE HE WAS UNRESPONSIVE.
THE BAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WAS THERE WITHIN 4 MINUTES OF GETTING THE CALL. HE HELPED WITH THE CPR, INCLUDING SHOCKING victim ONCE WITH THE AED BEFORE EMS ARRIVED. victim WAS TAKEN BY EMS TO BAY MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE WAS LIFE FLIGHTED TO SACRED HEART HOSPITAL IN PENSACOLA, FL. Victim WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON SUNDAY 4/12/2009.
PANAMA CITY BEACH             