Man Killed in Bradenton Drowning Identified

BRADENTON, FL — A 51-year-old man is dead following an apparent drowning near the Manatee Avenue Bridge Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around noon. Deputies say a 51-year-old man was riding his bicycle over the bridge when his hat fell off and went into the water. The man dove in to retrieve his hat, “but he went underwater before making it back to shore,” the agency wrote in an email to media.

An officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission happened to be driving over the bridge when the drowning occurred. The officer tried to rescue the man, the sheriff’s office said. After a short search, the victim was located and taken to a local hospital. The man, however, was pronounced dead.

Deputies have identified the victim as Andy Lewis Milton Sr. The investigation into the death remains active.

No further information is available at this time.

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