PANAMA: Man Dies In Panama City Beach Drowning

A Lynn Haven man has died in what authorities reported as a drowning in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Panama City Beach Police Department reports.

Jared R. Werth, 31, was found face down Monday afternoon in the water near the PCB City Pier. Bystanders and lifeguards pulled Werth from the water and attempted to revive him, but Werth was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly afterward, PCBPD reported.

PCBPD responded to the scene at about 4:15 p.m. and found Werth unconscious on the sand while lifeguards performed CPR. Fire crews took the lead in performing CPR, but Werth remained unresponsive mad unconscious, police reported.

Werth was moved to an ambulance and transported to the hospital, where he later died, police said.

One lifeguard said he noticed Werth on the beach since about 8 a.m. He was last seen standing by the water speaking on a cell phone five minutes before being spotted face down in the water 20 yards offshore. When lifeguards spotted the figure, they traveled out to him in the surf, which was still only about waist-deep, the lifeguards told police.

Neither had seen Werth enter the water, police reported.

Another eye witness told police Werth worked at Buffalo Wild Wings in Pier Park, and he said the victim was frequently seen hanging out at the pier, PCBPD reported.

Police found a backpack containing some of Werth’s belongings, including a cell phone and a Buffalo Wild Wings apron, near the scene.