PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — A St. Louis County woman died while on vacation Sunday in Florida.
The Bay County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 60-year-old Debbie Szymanski died after swimming at Panama City Beach in the Gulf of Mexico with her family.
Police said they responded to a distressed swimmer call at about 11:30 a.m. at the beach. When police arrived they said family members were already bringing Szymanski to the shore. According to the police report, She was not responsive.
EMS transported Szymanski to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.
The cause of death is unknown. But according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Szymanski is the fifth tourist to die off the shore of Panama City beach within a week. All the victims experienced a rip current common denominator in the waters.
The sheriff's office released the names of the other victims. Three men from Alabama - 25-year-old Harold Denzel Hunter, 24-year-old Jemonda Ray and 24-year-old Marius Richardson - died on Friday. A Pennsylvania couple, 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Erica Wishard while on vacation Thursday.
