She went into the water to rescue a child. Bystanders helped pull other children from the water.

PASS-A-GRILL – A mother died this morning (Oct. 14) after a drowning incident Saturday (Oct. 13) near Pass-A-Grill on St. Pete Beach, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Samar Aboukhdair, 36, of Lakeland, died this morning at Palms of Pasadena Hospital where she was taken after she was pulled from the water.

Three of the eight children who were at the beach with her sustained minor injuries. They have been treated and released.

Deputies said Mrs. Aboukhdair was at Pass-A-Grill beach with her six children and two of her neighbor’s children. The children were reported to have been swimming north of the Pass-A-Grill southwest jetty when
witnesses heard the children scream from the water.

The witnesses – Richard and Laura Grandy of Seminole, Greg Lynch of Floral City, and Scott Cooper of Fort Meade – said they saw four children in the water. They pulled two of the children out of the water to safety after it appeared they were caught in a strong tidal current.

Mrs. Aboukhdair went after the third child and became caught in the strong tidal current herself. One of the older children also went in the water with Aboukhdair and also became caught in the strong tidal current.

St Pete Fire Rescue rescued the two remaining children and Mrs. Aboukhdair in the water. Paramedics treated Mrs. Aboukhdair at the scene and took her to the hospital.

Three of the children were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. All of the children have been released from the hospital.

The parents of the two neighbor children who were with the Aboukhdair family were contacted and came to pick the children up.

Deputies said they were able to contact Mrs. Aboukhdair’s husband who is out of the country. He was reported to be taking the first flight home. The remaining children will be in the care of a family friend who picked them up.

Pinellas Sheriff | Near Drowning | Pass-A-Grill | Tampabay News

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