PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A snorkeling trip off the coast turned deadly Sunday when a man was swept away by a strong current near a popular reef, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. Deputies and firefighters responded to the 3000 block of South A1A after a report of a drowning.
Investigators tell BocaNewsNow.com that two friends had paddleboarded about half a mile offshore to a reef, where they anchored their boards and got in the water to snorkel. While they were in the water, the current picked up and pulled both men away from their paddleboards. Realizing they couldn’t fight the current back to their boards, the two decided to try swimming for shore instead.
One of the men made it to shore, but when he looked around for his friend, Kevin Burns was nowhere to be seen. He called 911, and deputies and PBC Fire Rescue rushed to the scene.
A PBSO helicopter crew located Burns in the water north of where the paddleboards had been left at the reef. He was flown to Jupiter Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
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