V1 DEPARTED GASPARILLA PASS AND WAS ENGAGED IN RECREATIONAL FISHING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES OFFSHORE OF GASPARILLA ISLAND IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO NAVIGATE TOWARDS BOCA GRANDE PAsS TO SEEK CALM INSIDE WATERS. DUE TO A ROUGH SEA STATE V1 WAS BEING OPERATED AT A SLOW SPEED APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS OFFSHORE OF GASPARILLA ISLAND.

V1 IMPACTED A ROUGE WAVE WHICH EJECTED THE OPERATOR AND ADULT OCCUPANT.  THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST THE EJECTED OCCUPANT WHO WAS STRUGGLING IN HIS EFFORTS TO SWIM TOWARDS SHORE AND WAS LAST OBSERVED SUBMERGING IN ROUGH WATERS.

OCCUPANT WAS EJECTED OVERBOARD AND DROWNED. OCCuPANT WAS UNABLE TO SWIM AND WAS NOT WEARING A LIFE JACKET.
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