BUXTON, N.C. — Park officials on the North Carolina coast in the Outer Banks say the body of a Pennsylvania man was found floating in the ocean.
The National Park Service said in a news release the unidentified 79-year-old man was discovered 30 yards from the beach Saturday near the north end of Buxton at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.
A bystander who tried to resuscitate the man, and emergency personnel continued efforts to revive him after responding to a call around 2 p.m.
Although rip currents were forecast for the Outer Banks area and the man was found in the water, the park service said the cause of death is unknown.
It's the first swimming-related fatality off Cape Hatteras National Seashore area in 2018. There were seven swimming-related fatalities in 2017 and eight in 2016.
