Alejandro Velazquez, 50, of Little Elm, Texas, was vacationing with his family at the popular Florida destination when tragedy struck, according to KDFW-TV.
Velazquez saw his 11-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter struggling in the waves Sunday afternoon and went in to help them, KDFW reported. He was able to get them to safety, but was separated from them in the rough surf.
Lifeguards went in after the family and managed to get the children ashore before pulling an unconscious Velazquez from the water, officials with the Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office said.
The father later died at an area hospital.
The beach had red flag warnings posted because of the dangerous surf and some beaches in the area were closed.
Velazquez is the second person to drown in Okaloosa County in the past month.
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