Two snorkelers found themselves in serious trouble on the Fourth of July after a strong outgoing current at Destin’s East Pass pulled them farther and farther from shore.
- The pair — a man and a woman — were tired and unable to make it back on their own when two members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit received a call for distressed swimmers, according to the sheriff’s office.
Lt. Brian Parkton and Deputy Pierre Batiste were already on the water and were able to reach the snorkelers quickly. Bodycam footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the deputies spotting the snorkelers, yelling to them and throwing a ring buoy before pulling both individuals safely into the boat.
- Neither snorkeler was harmed.
As the boat approached shore after the rescue, one of the deputies can be heard in the footage pointing toward the area where the snorkelers had been struggling.
“This…this is very, very bad,” the deputy said, referring to the stretch of water in East Pass. “The water right here rips. It’s a funnel right here.”
He followed up: “You don’t realize how bad that could have been.”
The sheriff’s office urged the public to be aware of the dangers at the pass, warning that currents can be extremely strong and carry even experienced swimmers away from shore.
