Officials: Death toll at 3 in Florida’s lobster miniseason

One man died after getting struck by propeller while diving, officials said

Lobsters in cooler. (WPLG)

MIAMI – Two people died and one person was injured on the first day of Florida's two-day lobster miniseason, officials said.

One death and one injury were reported Wednesday in the Florida Keys, and the second death happened in Pompano Beach.

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Lobster miniseason — held on the last Wednesday and Thursday in July — attracts thousands of people to the Florida Keys where the spiny crustacean is a local delicacy.

A 35-year-old man drowned around 7 a.m. Wednesday just off Sawyer Key, Monroe County Sheriff's officials said. A short time later, a 41-year-old man was injured when a propeller hit his leg while he was diving in the Lower Keys, officials said.

In Pompano Beach, which is north of Fort Lauderdale, a man went into cardiac arrest after coming up from a dive, officials said.

The event continues through Thursday night.

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A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of deaths on the first day of the lobster miniseason was three instead of two.


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