Florida man dies 3 days after being rescued by beachgoers from ocean in North Myrtle Beach
A 30-year-old man who was rescued from the ocean July 19 by beachgoers in North Myrtle Beach has died.
Michael Letzkus, from Sanford, Florida, died three days after being pulled from the ocean near Sea Cabin Pier in the Cherry Grove area. Letzkus was identified by the Horry County Coroner’s Office Wednesday.
The coroner said Letzkus died at 3:12 a.m. July 22 from asphyxiation due to drowning.
Letzkus was vacationing near 53rd Avenue in North Myrtle Beach with a large group of family and friends, according to Larry Powers Jr., whose son is married to Letzkus’ sister.
North Myrtle Beach rescue crews responded to the drowning at about 5:10 p.m. July 19, according to North Myrtle Beach Police Officer Pat Wilkinson.
Wilkinson said Wednesday morning that the drowning happened near Sea Cabin Pier, but the rescue transport happened near 54th Avenue. The transport site is about a half mile from where the drowning occurred near 59th Avenue.
It is difficult to determine where Letzkus may have entered into the water, according to Monty Reed, beach patrol manager for North Myrtle Beach.
When lifeguards and beach patrol officers arrived, they found the 30-year-old man had been pulled ashore and immediately began life-saving measures to save him, Wilkinson said.
The man was spitting up water but was unresponsive, Wilkinson said. Responders also detected the smell of alcohol coming from the man’s mouth, he said.
After beginning CPR and utilizing an Automated External Defibrillator, rescue crews moved the man to the Beach Patrol truck where lifeguards continued CPR in the back of the truck. He was transported to a waiting ambulance on Ocean Boulevard and was taken to McLeod Seacoast Hospital.
Letzkus was seen floating on his back and not moving in the water by beachgoers. One of them, Luis Luna, a Pennsylvania man vacationing in North Myrtle Beach with his family, swam out to where Letzkus was and brought him back to shore. Luna had to swim quite a distance to reach the man, who was floating out to sea, Luna told The Sun News by phone last week.
During that time, another woman went to get a lifeguard and Luna’s wife called 911, Luna said. A group of men helped Luna finish bringing him onto the beach.
No one near the rescue site appeared to know who the man was. After the man was recovered, Reed drove along the beach in an attempt to find someone who knew him, he said. Reed was able to find a large group of people at 53rd Avenue who said they were missing a group member.
Yellow flag flying on day of beach rescue
Luna had said that the rip current was strong on that day. “That day the waves were terrible,” he said. “You could feel it pulling and pushing you.”
Reed said a yellow flag warning was issued that day, which urged swimmers to use caution in the water. Before the drowning, lifeguards had responded to one other water rescue at 10:30 a.m. July 19 at Tower 25, which is near Main Street.
Lifeguard towers are manned from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Reed said. There are two lifeguard towers between 53rd and 59th avenues, where Letzkus was recovered from the ocean.
Beach patrons credited with ‘heroic’ rescue
Reed credited both beachgoers and rescue crews for the work they did in rescuing Letzkus.
“They did an amazing job,” Reed said.
He said rescue crews were on the scene as soon as Letzkus was pulled from the water.
“The whole family understandably is in the shock phase of this,” Powers said by phone Wednesday.
Powers described Luis Luna’s efforts to rescue Letzkus as “heroic,” adding that his attempt gave Letzkus a chance. “If it weren’t for (Luis Luna), he would’ve had none,” Powers said.
