Florida Father, 31, Drowns Rescuing Seagull as Family Fund Tops $138,000

Q: How did a Georgia father’s attempt to save a tangled seagull end in a fatal Florida Panhandle drowning?

He died after swimming into the Gulf to free a seagull tangled in his fishing line, then getting caught in dangerous surf conditions and being pulled away from shore. According to reports, William “Stone” Romberg, 31, was fishing near Carillon Beach/Phillips Inlet in Panama City Beach when he saw the bird hooked in his line. He entered the water to untangle it, but during the rescue the hook and the bird became snagged on his hand, making it harder for him to return safely. As Romberg tried to swim back, a strong current — widely described in coverage as a rip-current-type hazard common along the Florida Panhandle — carried him farther out. Authorities and community accounts said friends lost sight of him, and deputies later found him in the water tangled in fishing line. Friends reportedly began CPR, but he was pronounced dead. The episode has drawn attention to how quickly Gulf currents can turn deadly, even for someone acting in a rescue attempt. Safety guidance for rip currents is not to fight the current directly toward shore; instead, experts advise floating or treading water, then swimming parallel to shore until free of the current. Romberg, an Atlanta-area native and beach service manager in the Carillon Beach area, was remembered by coworkers and neighbors as kind and helpful. He is survived by his wife, Taylor, and their two young daughters.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 29

Stone Romberg, a 31-year-old father of two from the Atlanta area, drowned Sunday in the Florida Panhandle after swimming out to free a seagull tangled in his fishing line.
An ocean current swept him farther offshore as the hook and bird became stuck to his hand while he tried to untangle the animal and return to shore.
A GoFundMe for Romberg's wife Taylor and their two daughters — ages 1 and 3 — had raised $138,714 by Thursday afternoon.
Romberg managed chair services at a local condominium complex, where coworkers and guests remembered him in Facebook and fundraising tributes for his kindness and willingness to help.