Buxton man dies while surfing off Old Lighthouse Beach
By IRENE NOLAN
Jordan Bartholomew, 32, of Buxton died today while he was surfing off the Old Lighthouse Beach in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Boone Vandzura, the seashore’s chief ranger, said a call came in to Dare County 911 at 1:10 p.m. about a water rescue. National Park Service personnel responded, along with the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad, county Emergency Medical Services, and the Dare County Sheriff’s Office.
Vandzura said a woman on the beach noticed an abandoned surfboard out in the water and directed two surfers to check it out. When they approached the board, they found Bartholomew, unconscious and floating face down still attached to the surfboard.
The other surfers brought the victim to the beach and started CPR until the first responders arrived.
According to a Park Service news release, the cause of death is unknown, although earlier officials called the fatality an “apparent” drowning.
Bartholomew said on his Facebook page that he was originally from Howland Center, Ohio. He was an avid surfer and was known for his surf videos. Friends said he could often be seen riding his bike to the beach with his surfboard on the back.
