Ryan Mallett body camera footage reveals new details about former Patriots QB’s death

Ryan Mallet's tragic death continues to reverberate around the NFL world. He was in Florida when he drowned. He was only 35 years old. Harrowing footage of the time lifeguards tried to save the former NFL quarterback has now emerged. In it, they can be seen running to the scene as bystanders look on.

Law enforcement said in a statement that the former Arkansas quarterback started having problems while attempting to swim to a sandbar around 150 feet (46 meters) from the beach close to Gulf Shores Drive at about 2.15 pm. Lifeguards rushed to his aid as he went underwater, but when he was removed, he was no longer breathing. He was brought to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Note: Some viewers may find the below video distressing. Discretion is advised.

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Ryan Mallet's drowning has no relation to rip tides

There has been speculation that conditions in the area contributed to the tragedy. But latest reports by local authorities say that rip tides had nothing to do with Ryan Mallet's drowning.

Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement on Wednesday,

"... it’s always difficult when we lose a tourist or resident here, but we have no indication here of any dangerous conditions out there”.

He added that reports that the area was under a red flag were false. It neither applied to Destin, where the incident took place, nor to any other part of Okaloosa county.

“The entire Okaloosa County, as well as Destin, we’re not under red flags or double red flags despite some of the misperceptions out there."

However, he did confirm that they were under a yellow flag. The yellow flag indicates to the swimmer that they must swim with caution but does not involve any comment on the situation regarding surf or tides.

“We were under a yellow flag, which is just swim with caution. It just seems to be a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents,” Sheriff Eric Aden said.

Despite such knowledge, the sadness of his demise has been felt around the sporting world. Ryan Mallet's death has been met with an outpouring of grief across the football world.

He played for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for Michigan before being drafted out of Arkansas. He was the head coach of the White Hall High School in Arkansas at the time of the tragedy.