Police release name of man who drowned in Pensacola Bay

Pensacola police have launched an investigation after a man's body was recovered from Pensacola Bay early Thursday morning.

The man was identified as 68-year-old Homer Parriman, of Robertsdale, Alabama, according to PPD spokesman Mike Wood.

At about 5 a.m., a security officer with the Port of Pensacola saw the man swimming in the bay and he did not appear to be in distress, Wood said.

The security officer reported the swimmer to police because of the unusual circumstances.

A PPD officer responded and shouted to the man to come back to shore to check on his welfare, at which point the man reportedly looked at the officer and went underwater. By the time he surfaced, he was deceased, Wood said.

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Parriman's body was recovered at about 6:30 a.m., and both the PPD and the medical examiner were on scene Thursday morning.

We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Emma Kennedy can be reached at ekennedy@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.