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State Can't Escape Holiday Drownings, Boating Accidents

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 27, 2008

Updated: 05/27/2008 06:27 pm

TAMPA - At least five people drowned across Florida during the Memorial Day weekend, including two in the Tampa Bay area.

In addition, the Longboat Key Police Department is investigating a possible drowning that occurred Saturday.

There were also four people seriously injured in boating accidents statewide during the long holiday weekend.

That includes two Tampa teenage boys hurt Saturday when their personal watercraft drove underneath a dock on Egypt Lake.

There were no boating fatalities around the state, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Lt. Ed Cates said.

In Hernando County, 1-year-old Bisha Hiba drowned Monday morning in the family pool at 4571 Golf Club Lane.

The boy was in the house being watched by his three siblings. His parents were elsewhere in the house. The boy managed to work his way through a sliding glass door to the pool that was open but blocked by a plastic barricade.

The siblings discovered he was missing and found the child in the pool, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said.

In Pasco County, also on Monday, Johnathan D. Pierce, 21, of Daytona Beach, was found just after noon floating face down about six feet from shore in a pond behind the Summer Trace apartments just after noon.

Witnesses told the Pasco County Sheriff's Office that Pierce was seen fishing there on Sunday.

Investigators do not suspect foul play in either drowning.

Police in Longboat Key are waiting for a medical examiner's report Tuesday to determine whether Gilbert Castelo, 62, died from drowning on Saturday.

Witnesses told police they saw Castelo about 75 feet from shore showing no sign of distress. About 15 minutes later, he was seen floating face down and was pulled from the surf about 5 p.m.

Witnesses were giving Castelo, of Pine Brook, N.J., and Longboat Key, CPR when officers arrived at the beach access at the 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Elsewhere in Florida, two men drowned off Panhandle beaches during the weekend, and a 15-year-old boy drowned off New Smyrna Beach on the East Coast.

One of the state's serious boating accidents occurred in Hillsborough County when James Parker, 14, and Benjamin Parker, 13, both of 9865 Meadowfield Circle, Tampa, drove their personal watercraft under a dock about 1:30 p.m. Saturday on Egypt Lake.

James was listed in critical condition and Benjamin was in fair condition Tuesday at St. Joseph's Hospital.

The wildlife commission said James Parker was operating the watercraft and Benjamin Parker was a passenger.

The commission also said no charges will be filed.

Both boys were wearing life jackets. State regulations require anyone driving a personal watercraft to be at least 14 and have a boating safety card. Investigators did not know whether James Parker had received the card issued after taking safety courses.

The state's other two serious boating accidents occurred in the Keys.

Near Key Largo a 22-foot boat with 10 people aboard ran into a channel marker about 10 p.m. Saturday. No one aboard was ejected, but one person was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital with a serious head injury, Cates said.

Four others aboard the boat were treated and released at a hospital in the Keys.

Meantime, a man from Georgia also received a serious head injury from a freak accident at a landing and launching ramp for personal watercraft in Key West on Sunday.

Operators drive the craft out of the water and on to the ramp.

Someone aboard a rented watercraft accelerated at the ramp, and the vessel flew into the air, striking the man on the head.

Cates said so far this year 23 people died in Florida boating accidents compared with 35 over the same time in 2007.

Another less serious accident occurred at Anna Maria Island that also involved a personal watercraft.

Vickie Lynn Barrington, 44, of Brandon was jumping wakes Sunday afternoon. She came down hard, and the impact slammed her face into the watercraft, wildlife commission spokesman Gary Morse said.

Barrington was treated for cuts and released, Morse said.

Information from reporter Lisa Davis and The Associated Press was included in this report. Contact Neil Johnson at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com

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