Alcohol may have led to death
(Deceased's name omitted), 22, drowned in the river's 4-foot waters after a day of fishing at the Koreshan State Historic Site in southwest Florida, the examiner said. The drowning was first reported in Tuesday's Alligator.
Dr. Robert Pfalzgraf, deputy chief medical examiner of the District 21 Medical Examiner's Office, said he would be surprised if (Deceased's name omitted) blood alcohol level was not over the legal limit.
"I smelled alcohol in his blood," he said. "But I just don't know how high it's going to be."
Although the autopsy was completed Saturday, the blood tests to determine factors such as alcohol level will take a few weeks to analyze.
Pfalzgraf said police told him the site was covered in beer containers.
He said he thinks (Deceased's name omitted) may have jumped into the river and hit his head on its muddy bottom. Even though the mud would have cushioned (Deceased's name omitted) from any visible skin injuries, much the same way a football player's helmet offers protection, a concussion may have disoriented him.
"He dove in and just never came back up," he said.
Josef Sandtner, 81, who lives near the state park, called 911 when he saw (Deceased's name omitted) facedown in the mud and heard calls for help, according the Lee County Sheriff's Office police report.
He also reported that two men were in a boat earlier and that one knocked over the other man, causing him to hit the boat's floor. Sandtner refused to comment when contacted Wednesday.
Pfalzgraf's said he saw a bruise around (Deceased's name omitted) eye and cheek, which he attributed to the hit. But he said there was no evidence of a struggle.
(Deceased's name omitted) teacher and internship adviser Michele Phillips, 27, said on Wednesday that she did not want to comment on (Deceased's name omitted) blood alcohol level until a full report is completed.
