87-Year-Old St. Pete Beach Man Dies In Accidental Drowning

ST. PETE BEACH, FL -- Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the drowning of an 87-year-old man Wednesday night.

Deputies responded to a drowning call in the waterway behind a neighborhood in the 3600 block of Belle Vista Drive East in St. Pete Beach. Upon arrival, deputies were told Robert Schmedes and his wife were out for a daily swim when he began struggling to hold his head above water.

Paramedics pulled Schmedes out of the water and performing CPR before transporting him to the hospital where he died.

Deputies said the death does not appear to be suspicious.