Sheriff’s office: Man dies while trying to drain pool during Hurricane Ian

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) - A man died in Florida while attempting to drain his pool as Hurricane Ian made its way across the state on Thursday.

According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were contacted by the man’s wife after he went missing while going outside around 1 a.m.

Responding deputies said they found the man’s flashlight outside and spotted his body in a canal behind the home.

The sheriff’s office reports that deputies pulled the 72-year-old man from the water, but he was already unresponsive. The team performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but the man could not be revived and was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Authorities said their initial investigation indicated that the man was using a hose to drain a pool down a hill and into a 30-foot-wide canal, where there was a steep decline. The ground was extremely soft and slippery due to the heavy rain that most likely led to the man falling.

According to the Associated Press, rescue crews have been busy piloting boats and wading through flooded streets to save thousands of Floridians trapped after the hurricane destroyed homes and businesses while leaving millions in the dark.