A snorkeler was found dead off Key Haven on Monday afternoon, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
On July 25, while checking two vessels during lobster sport season water patrol near Stock Island, on the gulf side of Key Haven, an FWC officer was advised a snorkeler had not yet surfaced. Search efforts were immediately initiated, and additional FWC units, an FWC aircraft and a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft were brought into the area to assist. After several hours, the FWC and Monroe County dive teams were activated, and they recovered the body of the individual, a 27-yearold male from Port Orange, on Florida's northeast coast. Preliminary information indicates head trauma from a possible vessel strike, according to reports. The FWC said the boating accident investigation is active and ongoing.
The death comes as thousands of visitors are descending on the Florida Keys for the two-day lobster mini-season on Wednesday and Thursday. Lobster mini-season begins at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, and ends at midnight Thursday, July 28. Regular lobster season begins at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 6, and continues through March 31, 2023.
Divers are reminded to abide by the bag limit of six lobster per day and no double-dipping trips. It is a felony to damage, molest or take lobster from traps in state or federal waters. Recreational trapping is prohibited. Divers and snorkelers should measure each lobster correctly, and measure while still in the water. The carapace, the hard part of shell, must measure greater than 3 inches.
