ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Gulf Coast Newspapers lost one of its own over the weekend following a drowing off Perdido Key.

Dan Jackson, 59, who served Gulf Coast Newspapers as an advertising representative since 2002, was caught in a rip current Friday afternoon off Perdido Key, just east of Johnson Beach, according to published reports.

“He was a valued employee and a friend and we are still in shock and at a loss as to why things like this happen,” said David Williams, associate group publisher for Baldwin County’s eight newspapers, including the Baldwin Times in Bay Minette, The Independent in Robertsdale, the Daphne Bulletin, the Spanish Fort Sun, The Fairhope Courier, the Foley Onlooker, The Islander in Gulf Shores and the Elberta • Lillian Ledger. “We will miss him and join with his clients and many friends in offering our heartfelt condolences to his family. Dan Jackson will be missed.”

A native of Iowa and a former resident of North Carolina, Jackson had over 25 years of sales experience in the automotive and advertising industries. He was residing on Fish River at the time of his death.

Jackson was a 1968 graduate of Ottumwa (Iowa) High School and was a Vietnam veteran.

According to Gulf Islands National Seashore chief ranger Clayton Jordan, 911 dispatch was called at 4 p.m. reporting two stranded swimmers.

Doanie Beeler, 20, was stranded on a sandbar 25 to 30 feet offshore. A National Park Service lifeguard, who had been dispatched to the call, was stationed 300 yards away and drove on ATV to the scene. He swam to the sandbar to find Beeler was secure and learned Jackson had been swept away by a rip current. The lifeguard left Beeler on the sandbar, where she was in no immediate danger, and swam to Jackson.

Jackson was found floating face down 50 feet off shore. The lifeguard turned him over and headed to the beach.

A second lifeguard arrived on the scene and rescued Beeler, who had gotten caught in the rip current after trying to swim to shore. The second lifeguard rescued Beeler and returned to the water to help the first lifeguard rescue Jackson.

A paramedic ranger and member of the Escambia County Fire Unit administered CPR to Jackson, who was unconscious and wasn’t breathing. Jackson was life flighted to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola where ER doctors attempted for 20 minutes to stabilize him before pronouncing him dead at 4:48 p.m. Beeler was examined and released.

The two were swimming in the Perdido Key unit of the Gulf Islands National Seashore near Johnson Beach. The waters were unprotected with the closest lifeguard being stationed 300 yards away. It was a yellow flag day.

On Saturday the same two lifeguards, Ethan Luppert and Brendan Kelly, made four other rescues. And on Sunday, a red flag day, they made over 200 preventive contacts to keep people out of the water.

“We like to use these incidents to educate the public,” Jordan said.

He suggested swimming in protected waters, watched by lifeguards and to take caution of the waters conditions.

Jackson was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Bonnie Jackson.

He is survived by his parents, Ralph and Dorothy Jackson of Minnetonka, Minn.; four sons, including two adult sons, Randy Jackson of Germany, and Mike Jackson of Bettendorf, Iowa; Josh Jackson, 14, and Noah Jackson, 10, both of Fairhope; a sister, Connie Potter of Mound, Minn.; and three grandchildren, Amber Jackson, Maddilynn Jackson and Maddox Jackson, all of Bettendorf, Iowa.

A short informal memorial service for Jackson will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at The Bluff in Fairhope.

Islander Staff Writer Katie Miller and Independent Editor John Underwood contributed to this report.