Dad dies after being pulled from Gulf of Mexico with his son, Florida officials say

A father and son swimming in the Gulf of Mexico became trapped in a swift current and had to be pulled from the water by rescuers, according to the Clearwater Police Department in Florida.

Both were hospitalized and the father later died , WFLA reported.

Rigoberto Romero, 49, of Clearwater, was with his 10-year-old as part of a family outing when their situation became dire, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

It happened around 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, on Clearwater Beach, police said in a news release.

“Preliminary information shows that two swimmers, a father and son, began struggling in the water near the jetty on the south part of the beach,” police said in a news release.

“The father was pulled from the water and was treated on scene by police officers and fire medics, then taken to Morton Plant Hospital with potential life-threatening injuries. The son was taken to Morton Plant as well as a precaution, but is expected to be OK.”

The incident remains under investigation.

Clearwater is about a 20-mile drive west of Tampa.

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