TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Man Rescued After Falling Overboard In Clearwater Pass

ADVERTISEMENT

By RICHARD MULLINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 31, 2008

Water currents were so strong in Clearwater Pass on Saturday night that Daniel Gorda drifted a mile after falling overboard, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

The 28-year-old Tampa resident fell about 9 p.m. from his friend's 52-foot Sea Ray.

"We were trying to pull a dinghy into the back of my friend's boat, and something cut loose," said Gorda, a former competitive swimmer. Friends on the boat called 911.

"Current like that you can't fight. You just try to swim laterally and try to get out of it."

Treading water without a lifejacket, Gorda drifted for about 10 minutes until he was east of Sand Key Bridge. The sheriff's office's marine unit found Gorda floating and exhausted, and took him to the U.S. Coast Guard station in Sand Key, where he was treated and released.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at rmullins@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7919.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT