Man drowns trying to retrieve dropped phone from harbor, California officials say
A man drowned trying to retrieve a dropped cellphone from a California harbor, officials said.
The San Diego man, 32-year-old Mathew Morrow, was among a group of people on six to seven boats tied together near Lido Isle, a man-made island in Newport Harbor, when someone dropped their cellphone into the harbor on Sunday, Aug. 7, Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Scott Steinle told McClatchy News.
“He entered the water to attempt to retrieve that cellphone, and he never resurfaced,” Steinle said.
Newport Beach lifeguards found Morrow and pulled him from the water onto a dock off Lido Isle, according to Steinle. The lifeguards, along with the Newport Beach Fire Department, tried to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on scene.
Steinle said people should always put their own safety first.
“Items can be repurchased. People’s safety is our greatest concern,” Steinle said.
This story was originally published August 11, 2022 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Man drowns trying to retrieve dropped phone from harbor, California officials say."
