Florida father of two, 31, drowns after swimming out to free a seagull tangled in his own fishing line

William "Stone" Romberg, a 31-year-old beach manager from the Florida Panhandle, drowned on Sunday after strong currents swept him out to sea near Phillips Inlet in Panama City Beach. He had entered the water to free a seagull that had become entangled in his fishing line, but was unable to make it back after his hand became snagged on the hook and the bird. The tragedy came just two weeks after the family had marked his youngest daughter's first birthday.

Romberg is survived by his wife Taylor and daughters Hadley, 3, and Lainey, 1.

His employer La Dolce Vita called him a man of 'kind heart, hard work, and willingness to always lend a hand.'

Friends remembered him as a 'wonderful husband and father' beloved by residents across the neighbouring Florida Panhandle communities.