Iowa Man Honeymooning In Florida Drowned During First Swim In The Ocean

JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) - An Iowa man, on his honeymoon in northern Florida, drowned during his first swim in the ocean.

Dalton Cottrell, 23, went swimming Tuesday at Crescent Beach, south of Jacksonville, and was swept out to sea.

A beach-goer heard screams from the water, grabbed a paddleboard, and joined a lifeguard who went to the rescue. The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office incident report says they found Cottrell and brought him back to shore, but he died.

Cottrell's wife told St. Johns County sheriff's deputies it was his first time in the ocean. She said the current pulled them out and "he started to freak out."

She told deputies she tried to help, but he was struggling and pulled her underwater.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)