Ponte Vedra Beach man apparently drowned

Historic City News was informed that St Johns County Marine Rescue swimmers pulled a drowning victim from the surf off of Ponte Vedra Beach near 1109 Ponte Vedra Boulevard at Mickler’s Landing about 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening.

According to witnesses, 63-year-old Grigoriy Kireev, who resides at 164 Patrick Mill Circle in Ponte Vedra Beach, was swimming offshore when he became short of breath and began to swim back. Kireev was seen walking across a sandbar when he suddenly collapsed and was pulled out to sea by the current.

Shortly after, members of Marine Rescue arrived, they dispatched a jet ski into the water to help retrieve the subject. A rescue swimmer reached the victim approximately 150 yards off shore, and brought him to shore with the assistance of two additional rescue swimmers on a jet ski.

Once on shore, emergency medical personnel determined that the victim had no pulse and was not breathing. Kireev was transported to Baptist Medical Center Beaches in critical condition by St. Johns Fire Rescue #10.

Despite life saving measures administered by Dr. Hamann at the hospital, Kireev was succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 17:59. According to published reports, Historic City News learned that Kireev was a research scientist in the old Soviet Union where he grew up. He also worked as a mechanical engineer and inventor with about 20 patents. In America, he was a merchant marine, and a janitor at Atlantic Beach Elementary School.