Another tourist drowns at popular Florida beach; marks fifth death in the last week

Shark with 'rare' deformity hooked in Florida

A "squiggly shark" with an apparent tail deformity was discovered in Titusville earlier this month – and researchers have revealed a possible explanation to why the big fish looks the way it does.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - A Missouri woman drowned at Panama City Beach on Sunday, just days after four others died under similar circumstances, officials said.

According to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Debbie Szymanski, 60, of St. Louis, was found unresponsive by family members in Gulf waters around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Szymanski was brought to shore by emergency services and deputies near Carillon on the west end of the beach.

Szymanski was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, deputies said.

Just two days prior, three Alabama men drowned after getting caught in a rip current at the same beach.

The three men traveled to the Bay County area with a group of friends, checked into their rental and rushed out to get in the water, just before 8 p.m. on June 21, deputies said.

After entering the water, Harold Denzel Hunter, 25, Jemonda Ray, 24, and Marius Richardson, 24, got caught in a rip current and were transported to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

The day before that, 19-year-old Ryker Milton, from Oklahoma, died after being caught in a rip current off Panama City Beach, according to Oklahoma TV station KOCO.

Law enforcement reminds beach goers to be careful when they see a red flag which indicates that there are strong currents in the Gulf.

Florida Crime and Public Safety News