71-Year-Old St. Pete Man Drowns While Assisting Grandson

MADEIRA BEACH, FL -- The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is investigating the drowning death of a 71-year-old man 0n Madeira Beach.

Deputies responded to the Madeira Beach Access County Park at 14400 Gulf Blvd. at 12:39 p.m. on Saturday after receiving a report of people yelling for help on the beach.

Upon arriving, deputies found beach-goers carrying 71-year-old Osman Pehlivanovic of St. Petersburg out of the water. Pehlivanovic entered the water to assist his 12-year-old grandson in the high surf and lost consciousness. Pinellas Sgt Greg Horton, 39, and bystanders 53-year-old Denise McCoy of Pinellas Park and 36-year-old Soraya Savage of Land O' Lakes performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Pehlivanovic until the Madeira Beach Fire Department arrived.

Osman was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 12-year-old grandson was uninjured.