Little Talbot Island staff conducting safety review following drowning of father, son on Saturday

Two drowning incidents happened in a two-week span at Little Talbot Island State Park.

The more recent incident involved a father and son, swept away by the high tide at Fort George Inlet on Saturday afternoon.

Action News Jax Courtney Cole spent the day pushing for answers on what’s being done to keep people safe in the area.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection told Action News Jax, staff are currently conducting an operational safety review on this weekend’s incident.

This includes assessing safety measures that were implemented at the time of the incident, including warning flags and signage displayed.

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The agency says this type of review is conducted after every severe incident at the park.

Erik Smart, 35, and his son Derrick Smart, 7, were swept away by high tide at Fort George Inlet on Saturday.

James Rogers, a visitor to Little Talbot Island, said he found out about the tragic incident from a family who made the visit to go fishing.

"It’s just so tragic when you get into a situation like that. Think of the mother, who lost her husband, lost her child. There’s so many families who are impacted by a loss like that,” said Rogers.

On Sept. 29, at least one person died after facing trouble in the water during a trip to Little Talbot Island.

Rogers told Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole there are signs everywhere, addressing what visitors can do to stay safe during their visit.

“There are plenty of signs up. You look and there’s warnings. There’s always a sign of some sort talking about the rip tide...the undertows,” said Rogers.

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The Florida DEP told Action News Jax swimming is only permitted on the Atlantic side of the park.

The Fort George Inlet is not OK for swimming and the agency says signs are posted to warn people about the dangerous conditions.

To ensure visitor safety, The Florida DEP encourages always encourage visitors to be vigilant near water, observing designated swimming areas and obeying all signage and park staff.

Cox Media Group