On April 23, 2023, at approximately 6:43 p.m., Pinellas County deputies received reports of two individuals being swept offshore from Pass-a-Grille Beach. A rescue team was immediately dispatched to the area.
According to detectives, Michael Stephens, 42, was at the beach with his daughters, 10-year-old Isabella Stephens, and 13-year-old Trinity Stephens. Michael’s 20-year-old daughter, Brittany Stephens, and her boyfriend, Jessie Johnson, were also with them.
The group was enjoying the water when they noticed that an outgoing rip current had intensified. Detectives reported that after assisting Brittany out of the water, Jessie returned to help Michael and Isabella, who were further out and struggling to make it back to shore.
Unfortunately, despite Jessie’s best efforts, he was unable to rescue Michael and Isabella, and the current had become too strong. During this ordeal, Trinity called 911 and passed the phone to a passerby, who provided the location details to the authorities.
At approximately 7:57 p.m., deputies assigned to the Flight Unit spotted Michael and Isabella about half a mile off the coast. With the help of the US Coast Guard and St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue, deputies from the Marine Unit were able to rescue both individuals.
Michael and Isabella were rushed to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The incident has been deemed accidental, and there is no suspicion of foul play.
Beachgoers should be cautious of rip currents and follow the safety guidelines when swimming. They advise anyone caught in a rip current to swim parallel to the shore until they are out of the current, and then swim back to shore.
