Ohio man drowns while snorkeling

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — A 52-year-old tourist from Ohio drowned while snorkeling in waters off the U.S. Virgin Islands, an official said Thursday.

Mark Moorehead, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, was pronounced dead Wednesday at a clinic on the island of St. John, said Virgin Islands National Park spokesman Paul Thomas.

Moorehead was snorkeling with other tourists when he suddenly went under water after struggling to stay afloat, Thomas said.

“Witnesses stated that the victim was in the water [for] approximately 10 to 15 minutes with a companion when he yelled out to her in a manner that alarmed her,” Thomas said. “The friend noticed the victim’s lips were blue.”

He said the charter sailboat’s crew retrieved Moorehead and tried unsuccessfully to revive him.