Mt. Sterling Man Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Florida Pool Incident

By Benjamin Cox on March 26, 2023 at 7:58pm

A Mt. Sterling man and former Navy rescue swimmer has been charged with attempted murder in Florida after authorities say he almost drowned a security guard in a condominium’s swimming pool.

The Centre Daily Times reports that 33-year old Seth Beavers of Mt. Sterling got into an a physical altercation with a security guard around 10:15PM Friday, March 24th at a condo property on Okaloosa Island, between Fort Walton Beach and Destin in northern Florida.

Investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department said the security guard told Beavers that a pool at the condo was closed and Beavers would have to leave. The Associated Press reports that the security guard told investigators that Beavers then attacked him, wrapped his leg around him, and dragged him into the pool, saying he would drown him.

Okaloosa County authorities say Beavers then is reported to have held the guard’s head underwater before the guard was able to break free and get to the side of the pool. Beavers is said to have put him in a headlock and again pulled him underwater before he was finally freed. According to a press release given to local media by Okaloosa County authorities, “The victim says Beavers rolled him into the pool while holding him against his will, hit him in the head, then pushed him under water, depriving him of oxygen. [The guard] told OCSO deputies although he tried to get out of the pool, Beavers struck him again, wrapped his arm around his neck, and pulled him back into the water again, fully submerging his head as if trying to purposefully drown him. The victim says he feared he was going to die during the encounter.”

The security guard’s name has not been released. Investigators say Beavers told them that the security guard swung at him. He allegedly admitted that he pulled the guard into the pool, held him underwater, struck him four times, and told him he was going to drown him. According to Muddy River News, Beavers has no criminal history in Brown County, Illinois.

Investigators say Beavers’ actions could have killed the guard, which is why he is charged with attempted murder. He was being held on $200,000 bond at the Okaloosa County Jail. Its records do not indicate if Beavers has an attorney.