Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) have released more information about how a 43-year-old man died in the water near Sandy Point State Park on Sunday.
NRP responded to the beach around 12:30 p.m. after getting reports of an unresponsive man being pulled from the water. Officers say a good Samaritan saw the man floating and was able to bring him back to the marina.
According to police, the victim and his family had launched their boat from the ramp at Sandy Point. But the vessel began to “experience issues”, so the group docked their boat to go fishing instead. While the family was fishing, police say the victim jumped into the Bay to cool off, but was swept away in the current.
The family waved for help and a good Samaritan boat found him and pulled him from the water. They brought him to meet NRP at the marina, but sadly, it was too late.
“Our officers did perform lifesaving rescue measures,” says NRP spokesperson Lauren Moses. However, they were unsuccessful in resuscitating the male,” and he was pronounced dead. Moses says the victim was 43, from Prince George’s County, but police were not releasing his identity yet.
Memorial Day weekend is typically one of the busiest of the year at Sandy Point State Park—both at the beach and the boat ramp—and this year was no different. Maryland State Parks notified the public at 11:30 a.m. Sunday that the park was full to capacity and not accepting anymore visitors. It reopened about four hours later.
This investigation into Sunday’s death is ongoing, and Bay Bulletin will continue to update this story.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
