This story has been updated to add the identities of the couple who died.
A husband and wife from Buford who drowned off the Gulf Coast this week while visiting Destin, Florida, have been identified by officials.
Witnesses reported to authorities that Peter and Sonia Nguyen were swimming with their adult son near SunDestin Beach Resort on Tuesday evening. The group was about 75 to 100 yards out from the beach when they began to struggle, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
“A bystander borrowed a boogie board and went out to try to rescue them,” officials said in a Facebook post. “He was able to get the 26-year-old son to shore, and his actions saved the young man’s life.”
The 54-year-old woman was pulled out of the water by beach safety responders but did not survive despite “intensive and extensive” lifesaving measures, according to the sheriff’s office.
The 57-year-old man was missing for a time before the sheriff’s marine unit located him and pulled him from the water. CPR was unsuccessful, officials said.
The county has a flag warning system to inform beachgoers of the risks associated of swimming in the Gulf, a spokesperson said. The ocean conditions at the time of the drownings were “moderate,” with yellow flags flying on the beach to indicate moderate surf and currents, authorities said.
Destin, a popular Gulf Coast vacation spot, is about 300 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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