Shrimper dies after falling from boat

A shrimper died early Friday morning after falling overboard in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Hernando County Sheriff's Office responded around 1 a.m.

Robert T. Parker, 58, of Spring Hill, was brought to the Hernando Beach Boat Ramp, where paramedics transported him to Oak Hill Hospital, according to FWC. He was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said Parker was onboard a 26-foot long commercial fishing vessel about three miles west of Hernando Beach when he fell into the water.

"He lost his balance and went over the port side," said Gary Morse, an FWC spokesman. "He was up on the bow where it bounces the most."

There were high winds and the waves were choppy when Parker fell, according to an FWC media release.

The vessel's owner and operator, Norman Soucy, 37, tried to rescue his deckhand, but Parker was unresponsive, authorities said.

Morse said Soucy and Parker were the only two men on the boat.

Soucy used the vessel's hydraulics to remove Parker from the water and sent a distress signal to the U.S. Coast Guard, according to FWC.

Parker was unresponsive in the water, so that's why Soucy needed to use a line and the boat's hydraulics to pull him out, said Morse.

Soucy drove the vessel to the boat ramp where paramedics were waiting for him, according to FWC.

A call Friday to Soucy's home in Weeki Wachee was not answered.

An employee at the marina where the boat is docked did not know about the accident until a reporter contacted her Friday. She declined to comment.

"The weather was very, very nasty (Thursday) night," said Kathryn Birren, who co-owns a vessel and seafood company in Hernando Beach with her husband. "It was not a good place for a small vessel to be."

Birren also has had experience on shrimp boats. She said if the conditions are treacherous, the dangers can mount quickly.

"When someone does fall over, it can be hard to see, especially at night," said Birren. "The lights on the boats are very bright on the deck, but if you're outside the (range) of the lights, it could take a while for someone to find you."

The accident remains under investigation.

Birren said shrimp boaters are among the most brazen people she's ever known in the seafood industry. They are undaunted, even during storm conditions.

"Not much keeps those guys in," she said. "They are tough guys."