Three drown in Orange County pool

PINE HILLS — A father, his daughter and her friend all drowned in a central Florida swimming pool.

Authorities say Philippe Casseus was reading as he kept an eye on his 14-year-old daughter Ruth and her 12-year-old friend, Verline Jules, as the girls played in the community’s pool Friday afternoon.

He ran to save the girls when they began struggling in the water. Another child ran for help as the girls sank, and an adult called 911.

An Orange County deputy responding to the call pulled the girls from the deep end of the pool. A neighbor pulled Casseus from the shallow end.

Casseus and Verline were pronounced dead at an Ocoee hospital. Ruth died at an Orlando hospital. Casseus’ father says none of the three could swim.

East Coast police officer shot in the hand

FORT LAUDERDALE — A Fort Lauderdale police officer is recovering after being shot in the hand.

Sgt. Frank Sousa says the officer’s injury isn’t life-threatening.

The officer was shot early Sunday while on duty. His name was not released.

Sousa says shots were fired between officers and a suspect.

The suspect also was wounded by the gunfire. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. An autopsy is pending.

Two pilots OK after fighter jet’s rocky landing

JACKSONVILLE — Officials say two Marine Corps pilots are OK after their fighter jet made a rocky landing at Jacksonville International Airport.

The F/A 18 fighter jet was coming from Beaufort, S.C., on Saturday afternoon. Jacksonville Airport Authority spokeswoman Debbie Jones says the jet reported a mechanical problem, and its left landing gear did not come down.

Jones says there was significant damage to the aircraft but the pilots were not injured.

The jet was towed.

Autopsy pending for trespasser at Sebring track

SEBRING — An autopsy is pending for a trespasser at the Sebring International Raceway who died when his pickup truck crashed into a closed portion of the track.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, 63-year-old Douglas Martin of Bonita Springs was traveling at a high rate of speed and skidded into a tire barrier wall after failing to make a right turn. The truck caught fire.

Raceway safety steward Robert Hayward says a track worker tried to get Martin out of the truck but was unable to move him.

FHP troopers say Martin was wearing a seat belt.

Hayward says Martin was trespassing and circumvented locked gates Friday night.

— Herald wire services