Volusia County

Volusia County reports second Ian-related death after man drowns from floodwater inside home

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Volusia County reported its second death related to Hurricane Ian.

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The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said a 67-year-old man died after he fell and was unable to escape rising floodwaters inside his home.

LIVE UPDATES: Florida works toward recovery as Hurricane Ian heads toward the Carolinas

Deputies in a high-water vehicle responded to the man’s home on Lake Drive near New Smyrna Beach around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday to recuse the man and his wife from rising waters.

Before the rescue crew arrived, the man fell inside the home and could not get up before the water level rose over him.

Deputies said the water in the area was waist-high when they arrived.

Watch: Homes remain flooded by Hurricane Ian in Orange County’s Orlo Vista neighborhood

Deputies said they were able to rescue the man’s wife and their three dogs, but the man was pronounced dead on the scene.

The death was the second in the Volusia deputies’ jurisdiction during Ian, with the first happening around 1 a.m. Thursday in Deltona, where a 72-year-old man fell in a canal behind his home during the storm.

Read: Deltona man dies after going out during Hurricane Ian to drain pool, deputies say

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.