A tragic accident in Florida waters has claimed the life of a Port St. Lucie man. Andrew Wilson Velo, 55, was identified as the individual who perished while freediving North of Key West. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Velo was discovered unresponsive on May 16, with the incident taking place around 12:30 p.m. According to a post from Florida Keys Sheriff's X account, foul play is not suspected in his death, and they are currently waiting to be fully informed by the autopsy results.
The man found unresponsive in the water while freediving in waters just north of Key West, Florida who died on Thursday has been identified as 55-year-old Andrew Wilson Velo of Port St. Lucie, Florida.
— Florida Keys Sheriff (@keyssheriff) May 18, 2024
The Sheriff’s Office has made notification of next-of-kin.
The incident…
The Sheriff's Office also took care to notify Velo's next-of-kin following the accident. The circumstances under which Andrew Wilson Velo was found have prompted an investigation, but the waters where he met his fate are known to be a hot spot for freedivers and spearfishermen alike. In fact, it's a region frequented often by those looking to explore beneath the waves, such as Virgil Price, a man who recently went missing in the same area. Price, as reported by WPTV News, disappeared while diving near a World War II-era shipwreck just last week.
As the community reels from this loss, questions linger about the safety measures and risks associated with freediving. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has not yet released detailed information about the specific circumstances of Velo's accident. However, this has not stopped the flow of condolences and support from those who knew him and the regional diving community at large.
Rescue teams transferred Velo quickly to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West following his retrieval from the water, where paramedics were standing by. Despite their best efforts, he could not be revived. With details of the incident still decidedly scarce, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office awaits the autopsy results to hopefully shed some light on the cause, as they continue to piece together the events of that fateful Thursday afternoon. Freediving, while enjoyed by many as a serene and introspective sport, in such moments reveals itself to also hold a potentially tragic edge.
