DESTIN, Fla. (WMBB) — Safety officials in Destin, Florida, have issued a statement after former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week.
Destin Beach Safety, which is part of the Destin Fire Control District, said they responded to a call about about six swimmers struggling to get back to shore shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday. One of the swimmers, who they identified as Mallett, had “submerged and failed to resurface,” the agency wrote in a public statement.
Three lifeguards entered the water, brought the swimmers back to shore, and performed life-saving measures on Mallett. He was ultimately pronounced dead at a Destin hospital.
Officials with Destin Beach added that flag conditions at the beach were yellow, indicating “medium hazard” and “moderate surf and/or currents.”
“There were no rip currents present in the area in which we responded to Ryan Mallett,” Destin Beach Safety wrote.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the agency’s assessment of Tuesday’s beach conditions in a statement issued on Facebook. Investigators with the sheriff’s office added that Mallet was attempting to swim to a sandbar about 150 feet offshore when the he began struggling.
“Despite widespread media misinformation, yellow beach safety flags were flying at the time and there were no indications of any ‘riptides,'” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office added that bodycam video of officers responding to the scene indicates the beach conditions were moderate on Tuesday afternoon.
“It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or current,” Sheriff Eric Aden said.
Mallett, 35, had previously played for the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans before finishing his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. He was working as the head football coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas at the time of his passing, KNWA reported.
“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” reads a message posted to the school district’s website. “We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers.”
