News

Actions

UPDATE: Toronto man dies after being pulled from water at Oceanfront

Posted at 3:03 PM, Sep 19, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-20 15:01:52-04

UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 33-year-old Neil Madore of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

Virginia Beach, Va. - Beach emergency crews received a call reporting a possible drowning near 24th Street by the Coast Guard station on Thursday.

Bystanders saw a man swimming, but later noticed that he was not moving and drifted away from shore.

"I was scared stiffless. I was in the water and I got out right away," says Madeleine Andre, a witness.

Lifeguards were able to bring the man to shore where he was said to be suffering from cardiac arrest.

"I saw them grabbing somebody and they started swimming back, and they pulled a gentleman out of the water and he was completely like blue you know," says Gilbert Ramirez, a witness.

Emergency personnel treated him on the beach until he was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Witnesses tell NewsChannel 3 that the man was a good swimmer.

Lifeguards have patroled the Oceanfront area using ATVs or trucks from 9 to 5 every day during the last two weeks of September.

There are no lifeguard stands deployed after September 15th.