A 31-year-old father of two drowned Sunday afternoon near Panama City Beach, Florida, after swimming into the water to free a seagull that had become caught on his fishing line.
William “Stone” Romberg was fishing with friends near Phillips Inlet, close to the Pinnacle Port Condominiums in the Carillon Beach area, when his cast hooked the bird. According to accounts from his employer and a GoFundMe set up for the family, Romberg swam out to untangle the lure. While he was trying to free the bird, the hook and the seagull became caught on his hand. As he attempted to swim back to shore, the current carried him farther out and he drowned. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it responded to the incident.
Romberg worked as beach service manager for La Dolce Vita at Carillon Beach, a position he had held since early 2024. The company posted a statement describing him as a valued part of the team who was remembered for his kind heart, hard work, and willingness to always lend a hand. He was originally from the Atlanta area and had settled on the Florida Panhandle with his wife, Taylor, and their two daughters, Hadley, 3, and Lainey, 1. The family had marked Lainey’s first birthday about two weeks earlier.
The Carillon Beach HOA also issued a tribute, calling Romberg a cherished member of the community whose death touched homeowners, staff, and the beach service team.
https://www.facebook.com/ldvbeachservice/posts/pfbid032yDi1xUzT2qJJt1fbeTEvSAFbyJ8wmiW96g8s9Kaz1ahCybPQvEX8B8oGnueFeholThe Salty Bottle & Brew, a local Panama City Beach cafe, remembered him as a regular and “a bright light in our community.” His father, Gerry Romberg, has coached football at high schools in the metro Atlanta area, including at St. Pius X Catholic High School.
Friends and neighbors organized multiple GoFundMe campaigns to help Taylor and the girls with funeral costs and immediate expenses. The campaigns raised well over $300,000 within days of Romberg’s death. Organizers said the funds would help ease the family’s financial burden as they face the loss of a husband and father.
Romberg’s death has drawn coverage from both local Florida and Atlanta outlets as well as national news. The area around Phillips Inlet and Carillon Beach is known for strong currents that can quickly pull swimmers away from shore. Community members who knew him described a man who routinely helped others, and the circumstances of his death have left many in the area reflecting on how quickly a Sunday afternoon on the water turned fatal.
