Man Drowns After Hornets Chase Him Into RiverPOSTED: 4:01 pm EDT August 28, 2005
UPDATED: 7:25 am EDT August 29, 2005
FORT MEADE, Fla. -- A man drowned after jumping out of a boat and into the rapid waters of the Peace River to avoid stinging hornets.
Polk County sheriff's officials said Joshua Harris, 19, of Auburndale, was in a boat with a co-worker clearing debris from the flooding Peace River on Saturday, when the two men came upon a nest hanging from a tree branch.
The hornets came out of the nest and Harris jumped into the river to escape them, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.
Harris was wearing a life vest but took it off so he could dive under the water and away from the hornets, Rodgers said. Rapid water then dragged him away and Harris never resurfaced, she said.
Searchers searched for his body on Sunday after postponing the search late Saturday because of weather.
Harris' co-worker was stung by the hornets but survived, Rodgers said.
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