Woman dies after snorkeling trip off Key West
Fish swim around a coral reef in Key West, Florida on July 14, 2023. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
KEY WEST, Fla. - A Mississippi woman died Monday after being found unresponsive while snorkeling near Mule Key off Key West, authorities said.
What we know:
According to the the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Lecia Elizabeth Spriggs, 63, of Madison, Mississippi, was participating in a snorkeling excursion with a commercial company at approximately 1:30 p.m. on May 26, 2026, when she was discovered unresponsive in the water.
According to officials, CPR was initiated immediately at the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard transported Spriggs ashore, where she was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island.
Spriggs was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
What we don't know:
Authorities said foul play is not suspected in the incident. The cause of death has not been determined, and autopsy results are pending.
What's next:
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. This story was reported from Los Angeles.