Father of 2 Dies After Losing Consciousness While Fishing Over 100 Miles from Shore

Father of 2 Dies After Losing Consciousness While Fishing Over 100 Miles from Shore https://ift.tt/4jeG98H

“Sean was taken from us far too soon while doing what he loved most,” Grumpy’s Tackle, a local fishing store, wrote in memory of Sean Smida

Sean R. Smida
Credit: Sean Smida/instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Experienced fisherman Sean Smida, 38, died after a medical emergency at sea on Tuesday, July 21
• He became unconscious while fishing on a private boat 130 nautical miles east of Montauk Point, N.Y.
• Other boat occupants attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead once the boat arrived at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Montauk

A New Jersey fisherman is being mourned after he died at sea earlier this week.

Sean Smida, 38, became unconscious while fishing on a private boat after an apparent medical emergency, the East Hampton Police Department said, according to the Asbury Park Press, Patch New Jersey and The East Hampton Star.

At the time, the boat was 130 nautical miles east of Montauk Point, New York.

Police said the group notified the United States Coast Guard about what happened at 9:53 a.m. local time, then headed for the Coast Guard Station Montauk, the outlets reported. The boat arrived at the station at 1:42 p.m., and they were met by police and emergency first responders,

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office (SCMO) then performed an examination and pronounced Smida dead at the station.

The SCMO is investigating the cause of death, but police say no foul play is suspected.

Sean R. Smida
Credit: Sean Smida/instagram

Smida was an experienced fisherman and worked for fish store Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park, N.J.

“He was family. He was a friend, an incredible fisherman, and someone who left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” the company wrote in a tribute shared on social media. “Sean was taken from us far too soon while doing what he loved most.”

“While so many people knew him for his passion for fishing, those closest to him knew that his greatest passion was his family,” the company wrote, going on to mention his wife and two children. “They were his entire world, and everything he did was for them.”

“Sean’s kindness, loyalty, generosity, and willingness to help anyone who needed him made him one of a kind. He touched countless lives, and the overwhelming outpouring of love we’ve already seen is a testament to the incredible man he was,” the post continued. “His friendship, his laugh, his passion, and the memories he gave us will never be forgotten.”

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The East Hampton Police Department, the United States Coast Guard and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.