A 79-year-old man died Wednesday while looking for lobsters off the Florida Keys, the first reported death of the two-day mini-season.
William Biddle, of Temple Terrace, Florida, was snorkeling at Bahia Honda State Park when he experienced some sort of difficulty in the water. Authorities say he was pulled onto a boat where others tried to assist him, but he did not survive.
Biddle was pronounced deceased at Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon.
While he was in the water, Biddle was tethered to the boat via rope, a common practice during lobster season.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission say they’re awaiting the report from the medical examiner’s office to determine his cause of death.
The lobster mini-season ended Thursday at midnight.