Man drowns after he and another man fell from a small boat in a Mulberry lake

MULBERRY — A 62-year-old Bartow man drowned after he and another man fell from a small boat in a Mulberry pond Wednesday night.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Bruce Morgan and 50-year old William Franklin of Mulberry were fishing before they fell from the boat. Morgan's body was found by PCSO Underwater Search and Rescue Team at around 8:52 p.m. after deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the pond located north of Arnaz Drive at around 4:47 p.m.

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Franklin was able to swim to shore. He told deputies that he tried to help Morgan but started to get entangled in thick underwater vegetation.

"This is such a tragedy…our prayers are with Mr. Morgan’s family and friends," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a prepared statement. "What makes this drowning more tragic is that it could have been avoided with the required safety equipment such as life jackets or floatation devices."

Judd said he cannot stress enough how important it is for each person on a watercraft to have some kind of safety equipment "to help them afloat in situations like this."

PCSO divers located the boat 50 yards off shore in about 12 feet of water and Morgan was found about 20 yards from shore in about nine feet of water.

The investigation is ongoing.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Man drowns after fall from a small boat in Mulberry lake