Land O' Lakes Samaritan Drowns at Honeymoon Island

A 65-year old man who came to the rescue of a group of children caught in a current off of Honeymoon Island, only to drown himself, has been identified.

Land O' Lakes resident Alan Hall drowned Sunday while being a good samaritan, according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesperson Jennifer Diaz.

The incident remains under investigation by the DEP's Divison of Law Enforcement.

Hall, authorities say, noticed three children, who were vacationing with their family from Ohio, caught in a current and in distress. The parents of the children were able to come to the aid of two of the children but unable to reach a third, which is when Hall sprung into action, rushing into the water.

Hall was able to reach the third child and push the child out of the tidal current where the child was able to swim back to shore.

Just after Hall freed the child from the current, witnesses say, he leaned backwards, floating on his back for a period before turning face-down in the water.

Hall was retrieved by a boater and brought to shore but was unresponsive and not breathing.

After an emergency medical team administered CPR, Hall was transported to 
Mease Dunedin Hospital where he was pronounced dead.