He did not know how to swim, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

PINELLAS COUNTY – A Tampa man died Sunday (June 17) of injuries he received while swimming near the Gandy Bridge, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Cruz Sales-Lopez, 28, of Tampa, died at Tampa General Hospital where he was taken after he was pulled from the water.

Deputies said Mr. Sales-Lopez was swimming with his girlfriend,Erika Ambrosio, 33, of Tampa on the northwest side of the Gandy Bridge in the unincorporated St. Petersburg area.

Mr. Sales-Lopez and Ambrosio were headed back to shore when Mr. Sales-Lopez started having difficulty swimming. Ambrosio told deputies that Mr. Sales-Lopez yelled for help before disappearing under the water. Ambrosio was unable to find Mr. Sales-Lopez and swam back to shore where she called 911.

Deputies from the Marine Unit and the Flight Unit responded to search for Mr. Sales-Lopez. Marine units from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Tampa Fire Rescue Department also helped with the search.

After searching the area for about 40 minutes, paramedics from Tampa Fire Rescue found Mr. Sales-Lopez unresponsive in the water. Mr. Sales-Lopez was transported to the Gandy boat ramp where an ambulance took him to Tampa General.

Pinellas deputies said the investigation revealed that Mr. Sales-Lopez did not know how to swim. Deputies said the incident appears to be accidental.

Pinellas Sheriff | Drowning | Gandy Bridge | Cruz Sales-Lopez | Tampabay News

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