Two snorkelers died and a child was injured in separate incidents during Florida’s two-day spiny lobster miniseason in the Keys, which has now ended.
The miniseason, held on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July, attracts thousands eager to catch lobster before the regular season begins on August 6.
On Wednesday, Clarence Shawver, 82, of Palm City, was found unresponsive about five miles off Grassy Key after going snorkeling around 10:45 a.m., according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Shawver was later pronounced dead at Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon.
The next day, around 8:30 a.m., Raymond Sasser, 61, of Loxahatchee, lost consciousness while snorkeling in the ocean. He was transported to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities do not suspect foul play in either case. Both autopsy results are pending.
Also on Thursday, around 11 a.m., a child suffered a leg injury from a boat propeller about five miles off Big Pine Key and was airlifted to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami for treatment.
“Overall, the 2025 lobster mini season was typical for the Sheriff’s Office,” the MSCO - Florida Keys said in a Facebook post Friday about the deaths and injury. “Most people were in compliance and the number of vessel stops, notice-to-appear in court citations, and arrest figures were normal/typical compared to recent years.”
Police made no arrests during the two-day lobster miniseason but issued approximately 16 mandatory-court-appearance citations and carried out 526 resource checks to ensure conservation law compliance.
