Fourth in a week: Tourist from Tennessee dies in rough surf in Panama City Beach

Nathan Cobb, The News Herald
Updated ·3 min read
6

PANAMA CITY BEACH − For the fourth time in a week, a person has died in the Gulf of Mexico after attempting to rescue someone fighting a rip current.

According to a news release from the Panama City Beach Police Department, Christopher Bell, 47, from Decatur, Tennessee, died Thursday trying to save his girlfriend.

The incident occurred about 2:20 p.m. near the Flamingo Hotel and Tower at 15525 Front Beach Road. Double red flags were posted at that time, meaning the Gulf was closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine.

Despite double red flags posted, the beaches were packed on Friday near the Russell-Fields Pier in Panama City Beach.
Despite double red flags posted, the beaches were packed on Friday near the Russell-Fields Pier in Panama City Beach.

"Officers arrived on scene to find a PCB Beach Safety lifeguard actively rescuing a female from the Gulf," the release reads. "She was successfully brought to shore. It was discovered the female's boyfriend was in the water, as he had attempted to rescue his girlfriend and was unaccounted for.

"Bystanders in the area noticed the man floating in the water and pulled him to shore."

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

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Bell was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"The conditions at the time were severe, with double red flags indicating extreme water hazards and rip currents," the release reads. "We remind the public to always heed these warnings and be aware of the grave dangers that can accompany these conditions.

"Double red flag conditions have existed on the beach for the last week. Double red flags mean you are not allowed in the Gulf."

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Panama City Beach, in a news release, called the death a "fatal water incident." Spokesperson Debbie Ingram said it's because the death has not yet been officially classified as a drowning and the city doesn't know whether Bell drowned or had another medical emergency in the water.

Along with Bell's death, three other tourists died in Bay County in the past week after grappling with rough surf conditions. Two occurred under double red flags, while one was under a single red flag.

Like Bell, two of the others died after attempting to rescue someone who was fighting a rip current. The other person simply disregarded the warnings of the beach flag safety system.

Double red flags in Bay County mean the Gulf is Mexico is closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine.
Double red flags in Bay County mean the Gulf is Mexico is closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine.

Richard Alford, 52, of Lula, Georgia, died June 18 after he entered the Gulf under double red flags to help two distressed swimmers. The incident occurred at Public Beach Access 75, which is located near Front Beach Road and South Vestavia Street.

Christopher Pierce, 47, of Helena, Alabama, died June 18 after he attempted to rescue his daughter under a single red flag. The incident occurred near Tidewater Beach Condominiums at 16819 Front Beach Road.

Stacy Scala, 53, of Panama City Beach, died June 21. Witnesses told local law enforcement officials Scala announced he was going to swim despite the double red flags. The incident occurred near Pelican Walk Rentals at 6905 Thomas Drive.

According to Lance Franck, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, the extremely rough conditions of the Gulf that have plagued Bay County during the past week stem from a strong onshore wind out of the southwest that has led to higher surfs.

Not counting the four Bay County deaths over the past week, there have been 18 drownings at Florida beaches so far this year, according to the NWS website. All but two of those were attributed to rip currents.

"We're getting strong and life-threatening rip currents," Franck said. "People should take rip currents seriously because they can be deadly, and they can occur on fair weather days when the sun's out. The surf might not look too bad. The water might not look too rough. But there (can still be) dangerous rip currents out there."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County logs its fourth beach death in one week