April 23 2015
TAMPA — A 47-year-old man died Wednesday night after trying to recover his remote control boat from an apartment complex pond, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
Van Murray waded into the 2821 Lakeside Commons Drive pond a little after 8 p.m., public information officer Debbie Carter said. As he continued toward his remote control boat, he slipped below the water and never resurfaced.
A stranger who saw Murray disappear underwater called the sheriff's office, and soon after Carter said the dive team was dispatched.
"One of our dive team members was near there," she said. "He was recovered pretty quickly."
Carter was unsure what caused the man to slip. The complex he died at — University Lake Apartments — is a student living complex. It lies just northwest of the University of South Florida campus. Carter did not know why Murray, who lives about three miles east of the pond at 5615 E 127th Ave, was at the complex.
She was also unsure how deep the pond was. The complex office was closed Wednesday night.
"His family responded to the scene," she said.
Retrieving remote control boat, Tampa man dies in student living complex pond 04/22/15 [Last modified: Thursday, April 23, 2015 3:24pm]