Tampa man dies in drowning accident near Gandy Bridge, deputies say
ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - A Tampa man passed away after a drowning incident in St. Petersburg, deputies say.
Pinellas County deputies on Sunday, before 7 p.m., say 28-year-old Cruz Sales-Lopez was swimming on the northwest side of the Gandy Bridge along with his 33-year-old girlfriend, Erika Ambrosio. They said when they started heading back to shore, Sales-Lopez began having difficulty swimming.
Ambrosio told deputies that he yelled for help before disappearing under the water. Deputies say she told them she was unable to find him, and called 911 after swimming back to shore.
After 40 minutes, paramedics from Tampa Fire Rescue found him unresponsive in the water. He was transported to Tampa General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Deputies say their investigation discovered that Sales-Lopez did not know how to swim, and the incident appears to be an accident.