Man drowns after falling out of wheelchair, into pool in ‘tragic accident,’ deputies say

DELTONA, Fla. (Gray News) – A 67-year-old Florida man using a motorized wheelchair accidentally fell into his pool and drowned Sunday afternoon in what officials are calling a tragic accident.

According to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened at a home in Deltona, located about 30 miles north of Orlando.

Deputies said they were called to the scene Sunday evening when the man’s wife returned home from work and found her fully-clothed husband floating face-down in their pool. The wife jumped into the pool and pulled her husband out and then called 911.

The wife told detectives she noticed the wheelchair was leaning over the edge of the pool with its right-side tires hanging over the edge, indicating that her husband fell out of his wheelchair and into the pool.

Upon investigation, deputies noticed the wheelchair was stuck on a hose that was lying on the deck, indicating that the man was trying to navigate around the hose when his wheelchair tipped, causing him to fall into the pool.

Deputies said the man was using a motorized wheelchair because he had limited mobility on his right side due to having suffered recent strokes.

The sheriff’s office said there are no signs of foul play and ruled the death a “tragic accident.”

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