Alabama deputy dies in Gulf Coast rescue attempt

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama sheriff’s deputy who specialized in patrolling Gulf Coast beaches has died after a water rescue.

News outlets report that two Baldwin County deputies were working on Fort Morgan Peninsula west of Gulf Shores on Sunday when several swimmers got into trouble in the water.

A deputy identified by the state attorney general’s office as 57-year-old Bill Smith died during the rescue attempt, although it was unclear what happened.

The swimmers and the other deputy survived.