DAYTONA BEACH -- The first drowning of 2011 occurred Thursday when a 52-year-old man wading in shallow waters stumbled and drowned in what was a calm surf, the Volusia County Beach Patrol said.
Beach Patrol officials were unclear what may have caused Mark Howe to drown in the 5:20 p.m. incident near the Zelda Boulevard Beach ramp with no major rip currents reported. Alcohol or a medical condition may have been factors, Beach Patrol spokeswoman Tammy Marris said. The drowning victim had lived nearby.
Howe's friends tried to save him and he had no vital signs when lifeguards finally got to him. He and his friends were swimming in an area awway from where lifeguards are stationed. Three people drowned at Volusia County beaches last year.
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