SC man dies while parasailing off Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A 31-year-old South Carolina man has died after a parasailing boat malfunctioned off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coast Guard says the 28-foot parasailing vessel reported Monday afternoon that CPR was being performed on David Sierazki, who was unresponsive. Sierazki had been parasailing about 1.5 miles off Longboat Key.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Mariana O’Leary tells the St. Petersburg Times that Sierazki came down quickly into the water and was unconscious when he was pulled into the boat. She’s it’s unclear what malfunctioned.

Coast Guard crew continued to perform CPR as they transported Sierazki and his wife to a boat ramp on Anna Maria Island. Manatee County emergency responders pronounced Sierazki dead at the boat ramp.

The Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating.