Iowa man on Florida honeymoon drowns during first ocean swim

CRESCENT BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An Iowa seminary student honeymooning in Florida drowned when he was swept out to sea on his first time in the ocean, officials said.

A St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office incident report says Dalton Cottrell, 22, of Malcom, Iowa, drowned while swimming Tuesday at Crescent Beach, south of Jacksonville, according to The Florida Times-Union.

A beach-goer heard screaming from the water and grabbed a paddleboard, joining a lifeguard who went to the rescue. The report says they found Cottrell and brought him back to shore but he died.

Cottrell’s wife, Cheyenne, told St. Johns County sheriff’s deputies it was his first time in the ocean. She said the current pulled them out and “he started to freak out.” She told deputies she tried to help, but he was struggling and pulled her underwater.

Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, said in a statement that the couple were seniors at the school and had married Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. Cottrell was training to be a pastor, the school said.

___

This story has corrected the spelling of Malcom, Iowa, not Malcolm.