An investigation into the Tuesday drowning of White Hall High School football Coach Ryan Mallett was still ongoing as of Wednesday.
The Okaloosa County sheriff’s office in Florida told The Commercial, responding to an email request Wednesday morning, an official incident report was not available for release as the “case is currently in the process of being completed.”
For now, the only details into the drowning were revealed in a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office Tuesday evening and updated with next-of-kin notification and Mallett’s identity.
According to authorities, first responders were called to the beach behind 775 Gulf Shore Drive in Destin at 2:12 p.m. Central time, as a group of people in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to return to shore.
An adult male, later identified as Mallett, went under and was not breathing when he was pulled out, according to lifeguards.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken but the man was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room,” the post reads. Mallett turned 35 on June 5.
Destin Beach Safety, a rescue service within the Destin Fire Control District, utilizes a flag system that warns beachgoers about the condition of the water. A yellow flag flew Tuesday morning, meaning “medium hazard” and requesting that people swim near a lifeguard. A red flag signals “high hazard” while a double red flag is more hazardous and results in closure of the beach.
The Destin Log website reported 30 rescues from the Gulf of Mexico between June 17-22.
Late Tuesday, Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. offered a “heartfelt tribute” to Mallett on Facebook, adding Mallett’s death left many “in a state of shock and disbelief.”
“Coach Mallett was an exceptional individual, both on and off the field,” Woods wrote. “His unwavering dedication, contagious passion, and exceptional skills made him an integral part of our community and a role model for countless aspiring athletes. He touched the lives of many as he guided and inspired our young players, instilling in them values of perseverance, sportsmanship and teamwork. …
“As many mourn the loss of Coach Mallett, let us remember the indelible impact he made on our community. His legacy will forever be etched in the annals of Jefferson County’s sporting history. We will cherish the memories of his extraordinary coaching, his unwavering passion for the game, and the way he selflessly invested in our students’ lives.”
Mallett was hired as White Hall’s football coach in February 2022 and led the Bulldogs to a 4-6 record. He was previously offensive coordinator at Mountain Home.
A former standout at Texas High School in Texarkana, Mallett was a two-year starting quarterback at the University of Arkansas in 2009-2010 and had a seven-year career in the NFL.
This story has been updated. It was originally published at 10:53 a.m. under the headline “Probe into White Hall coach Mallett’s drowning ongoing.”
An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated the time zone for Destin.