Operator, his girlfriend, and their five kids were canoeing on Lake Dorr in Altoona FL. A squall from Tropical Storm Debby was moving into the area and they decided to head back to shore. By this time the wind had picked up considerably and Girlfriend was having a hard time getting her canoe back to shore and began to drift away from the shore. Operator took his passengers to shore and then went back to help Girlfriend. By this time Girlfriend had drifted 300 - 400 yds offshore. Operator was approximately 200 yards away from Girlfriend when his canoe overturned. Girlfriend did not see him surface. Girlfriend was rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. Operator's body was later found floating face down in the water. There were no obvious signs of trauma. The District 5 Medical Examiner - Lake County ruled the cause of death as drowning with cardiovascular disease as a contributing factor  He was not wearing a lifejacket



Additional/Supporting Documents Available at the NE Region (Ocala) Office; Operator is a 33 year old male in good physical condition. He is able to swim. He was attempting to rescue his girlfriend as her canoe was drifting away from shore. The lake was very rough and there was a strong storm associated with Tropical Storm Debby. For some unknown reason his canoe flipped and he was unable to get back into the canoe. The District 5 Medical Examiner - ruled the cause of death as drowning with evidence of cardiovascular disease. It appears from the autopsy report that Operator suffered some sort of heart attack while trying get back in the canoe. The water was very rough and could have contributed to the situation. There were no signs of trauma to his body. He was later found floating facedown in the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a lifejacket.

ALTOONA                       