MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The widows of Kirk Munguia and Ariel Romero said they were grieving on Thursday night after the two men, both employees of Miami-Dade County, drowned in Miami Beach. Munguia was 42 and Romero was 49.
Munguia was a member of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and Romero was a member of the Miami-Dade Internal Services Department.
On Wednesday, Munguia went to the beach with his 11-year-old daughter off of 54th Street and Collins Avenue. The two were on an inflatable raft when they started to struggle in rough water.
Witnesses saw Munguia and his daughter couldn’t keep up with the large waves. A lifeguard and Romero jumped to rescue them. The lifeguard swam to rescue the girl, and Romero swam to rescue Munguia. Romero didn’t make it back.
The lifeguard found Romero, of Hialeah, and doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center pronounced him dead. Munguia vanished. The U.S. Coast Guard searched overnight. His body surfaced on Thursday morning near 55th Street.
GoFundMe pages have been created to support both families:
GoFundMe to help Romero’s family
GoFundMe to benefit Munguia’s family