By Jake Ness and Kate McGreevy for Dailymail.Com
23:41 Jun 28, 2023, updated at 02:52 Jun 29, 2023
- There was speculation that Ryan Mallett fell into rough conditions in the ocean
- But officials rejected this suggestion after announcing his death
- DailyMail.com provides the latest global sports news
Officials said Ryan Mallett’s death by drowning did not occur in dangerous sea conditions.
The former NFL quarterback, who came while on vacation in Destin, Florida, was confirmed dead Tuesday night. He was only 35 years old.
And while the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said there was “widespread media misinformation” about conditions in the water at the time of Mallet’s death, he did not die.
Destin Beach Safety said in a statement that there were no rip-offs in the area around where the mallet was found and said yellow safety flags were in place.
The yellow flag “indicates moderate risk and moderate surf and/or currents,” the statement said.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Alden added, “It appears to be just a tragic accident and nothing to do with wave conditions, tides, or currents.”
According to investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, “Mallett began struggling while trying to swim to a second sandbar 150 feet offshore near Gulf Shores Drive in Destin around 2.15pm.”
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Mallet’s death in a statement.
“A tourist died in an apparent drowning off Gulf Shore Drive in Destin,” she wrote Tuesday night.
A group of individuals were reportedly struggling outside when a man drowned.
He was not breathing when rescuers found him and pulled him out. Tragically, life-saving measures have not been successful.
Mallet was taken from Florida Beach to hospital after first responders were called to the area at 2.12pm. He was pronounced dead at the emergency room in Destin.
Destin Beach Safety said in its statement that a beach attendant called 911, reporting six individuals struggling to get back to the beach.
The sheriff’s office released video camera footage of police officers responding to the incident on Tuesday.
One MP can be heard telling the other, “I think they put him on the board now,” before the footage cuts to an ambulance.
The agency reported that Mallet was on vacation with his girlfriend, Madison Carter.
The former Arkansas Razorbacks star went on to play for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.
His time in New England included backing up seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady for two seasons.
We have lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan, Brady wrote on Tuesday night.
We pray for the Mallet family and all their loved ones tonight.
Bill Belichick, the Mallet’s former New England coach, also paid tribute to his former player on Tuesday night.
I am so saddened by Ryan’s tragic passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched.
Mallett played in the NFL from 2011 to 2017 after his college career with Michigan and Arkansas, and he threw for 62 touchdowns in two seasons with the Razorbacks.
He returned to his last state to coach at Whitehall High School, taking the position in February 2022.
“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” the Whitehall School District said in a statement on Tuesday.
Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and mentor. We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and White Hall School District staff in your prayers.