NAPLES, Fla. — An incident report obtained by Fox 4 has revealed the identity of the man who died in a Naples lake on July 22. 44-year-old Nicholas Wardein was a Lee County EMT, a Lee County spokesperson confirmed.
According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, Wardein was diving in a lake at the Arrowhead Golf Course to retrieve golf balls. Wardein's son told investigators they have done this several times.
The son said they had permission to be in the lake. He told detectives Wardein went into the water with SCUBA gear, including a net to carry the golf balls.
Wardein's son said he later noticed his dad was struggling to stay afloat and was gasping for air. He saw Wardein take off his tank, but was still unable to surface. The incident report states this was possibly due to the weight of the bag of golf balls attached to his weighted belt.
The boy then went into the water, trying to help Wardein. However, when he got to the area where he saw his dad last, he could not find him. That's when he got out of the water and called for help.
First responders arrived and found a SCUBA tank floating about 30 yards out in the water. When fire department divers went into the water, they could not find Wardein. Once more divers got to the scene, they discovered Wardein's body.
Fox 4 has reached out to the Collier County Medical Examiner's Office to see if Wardein's cause of death has been determined.
Lee County provided us with a statement about Wardein's death stating,
Lee County Public Safety is saddened that EMT Nicholas Wardein died unexpectedly Friday while pursuing his hobby during his off-duty hours. EMT Wardein joined Lee County EMS in 2014 and was a committed provider who was loved and respected by his coworkers.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support funeral costs.
Fox 4 takes no responsibility for the fundraising efforts of the person or group running the link provided.
