COCOA BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say a tourist from Arizona drowned in rough surf off a central Florida beach.
Police say 66-year-old William J. Clifford of Tempe, Ariz., got caught in a strong current while swimming with a friend Sunday afternoon off Cocoa Beach.
Rescuers from the city's fire department, police and beach rangers brought Clifford back to shore. Police say Clifford died at a hospital.
Earlier in the day, authorities say a surfer was bitten by a shark in the same area where Clifford drowned.
Brevard County Ocean Rescue Assistant Chief Eisen Witcher says a 52-year-old surfer was taken to a hospital with a shark bite on his foot.
