Former NFL and Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned in Destin, Florida

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died Tuesday after he reportedly drowned at a beach in Destin.

The OCSO is investigating the drowning after first responders were called to the beach behind the 700 block of Gulf Shore Drive in Destin around 2:12 p.m.

A group of people in the water near a sandbar struggled to make their way back to shore, according an OCSO report.

Mallett went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when he was pulled out. Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken but he was pronounced dead at the Destin Emergency Room.

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Mallett, 35, was a University of Arkansas star quarterback who went on to play seven seasons in the NFL. ESPN reported Tuesday night that the Arkansas school district where he coached high school football put out a statement on his death.

"It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett," White Hall School District said in a statement reported by ESPN. "Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator. We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers."

At Arkansas, the quarterback finished seventh in voting for the 2010 Heisman Trophy.

The New England Patriots selected Mallett in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. He served as a backup to NFL legend Tom Brady.

7 dead in 9 days: 'Everything is on the table': Panama City Beach records seven beach deaths in nine days

Dangerous rip currents have been prevalent across the Florida Panhandle in recent weeks, with seven tourists killed over a 10-day stretch from June 15-24 in and around Panama City Beach, just 47 miles from Destin. During the same period, rip currents killed swimmers in Blue Mountain Beach and Miramar Beach, both just east of Destin in Walton County. That brings the total to 10 deaths in the 47-mile stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast in just two weeks. The National Weather Service had reported 60 beach drownings across the US before Tuesday's incident in Destin.

The NWS notes the extremely rough conditions stem from strong onshore winds out of the southwest, which have led to higher surfs. Panama City Beach has the highest number of beach fatalities for any single locale in the U.S. for 2023.

Rip currents are fast-moving currents created by deep channels in surrounding sandbars. These channels often run perpendicular to the shoreline and cause water to funnel faster out into deeper waters of the Gulf. Rips can vary in strength, depending on how developed the channels are, and they can sometimes be identified from shore where there is a gap in the wave break − areas where the white caps of the breaks are less noticeable.

Contributors: Lisa Nellessen Savage, Pensacola News Journal and John Gallas, USA Today Network-Florida.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned in Destin