Another person drowns off the coast of Bay County; third local drowning within a week

PANAMA CITY BEACH − Another person lost their life to a rip current on Wednesday afternoon after entering the Gulf of Mexico under double red flags.

This marks the third drowning off the coast of Bay County within the past week. Here's what we know about the incident:

Where and when did it happen?

According to Sgt. Mike Morris, a crime prevention officer of the beach for the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the Wednesday drowning occurred behind Pelican Walk Rentals, 6905 Thomas Drive.

Deputies were called to the scene about 6 p.m. Double red flags were posted at that time, meaning the Gulf was closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine.

June 18 drowning: Another tourist drowns in Panama City Beach; second local drowning in less than a week

June 15 drowning: Former firefighter drowns in Panama City Beach attempting to help distressed swimmers

Who drowned and why were they in the water?

A BCSO incident report states the victim was 53-year-old Stacy Scala, who was listed in the report as a transient to Panama City Beach. He was identified by a South Carolina driver's license.

"What we heard was that (Scala) was on shore ... making comments that he was going to go into the water even though it was double red flags, and that he wanted to swim," Morris said. "There were several people on shore who heard him. .... He then entered the water and began to swim, and then he started yelling for help because he got caught in a large rip current."

Was anyone else involved?

Along with attempting an open water rescue in extremely rough surf conditions, first responders also had to grapple with another beachgoer who tried to enter the Gulf to help save Scala, even though he was told multiple times to stay on shore.

Because of this, first responders were forced to waste valuable time getting him out of the water that could have been used to rescue Scala, the report notes.

That person, identified in the report as German Carrera-Salazar, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and transported to the Bay County Jail.

Beach safety: How do you get out of a rip current? Some safety tips for beachgoers in Panama City Beach

"The water was so bad last night its going to take multiple rescuers to get out to the victim," Morris said Thursday afternoon. "Currents are extremely strong, even (for) the most skilled swimmers. ... The gentleman that districted them definitely did not help the situation. In fact, he made it worse."

When and where were the other two recent drownings?

Richard Alford, a 52-year-old Georgia resident, drowned June 15 in after he entered the Gulf to help two beachgoers who were fighting a rip current. The incident occurred at Public Beach Access 75, and double red flags also were posted at that time.

Christopher Pierce, a 47-year-old Alabama resident, drowned Sunday after he attempted to rescue his daughter from a rip current near Tidewater Beach Condominiums. A single red flag was posted at that time.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County logs its third drowning in the Gulf of Mexico within a week