A Mississippi man drowned Saturday while snorkeling off a Florida beach near Destin.

The man was been identified as Michael Santore Cole, 29, of Byrum, Mississipi.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies report that Cole drowned while snorkeling off the beach Saturday afternoon.

“Witnesses noticed Cole struggling in the water around 3 p.m. but were unable to get to him before he went under,” deputies reported in a written news release.

When Cole was brought to land, CPR was begun. He was transported to a Fort Walton Beach hospital where he was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office reported.