Man pulled from water at St. Augustine Beach was dead before making it to hospital

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. – News4JAX learned Monday that the 21-year-old man who St. Augustine rescue crews searched for after a current swept him away died, according to a family friend.

When first responders found his body Thursday after an hour long search, Gerson Rodriguez was unresponsive. By the time he made it to the hospital, he was pronounced dead.

Witness said they saw Rodriguez and a 14-year-old girl struggling in the water. A surf instructor immediately jumped in to help. The teen was rescued, but unfortunately another wave caused Rodriguez to go under and made it harder for crews to find him.

Gerson Rodriguez is from Nogales, Mexico, his family told News4JAX. According to the 14-year-old, Rodriguez was working as a vendor at the Clay County Fair and took the day to visit the beach.