Tourist falls to his death from condo tower balcony in Florida Panhandle, cops say

A tourist fell to his death from the balcony of a 7-story condominium tower in Florida’s Panhandle, prompting an investigation, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The body was discovered late Monday, July 24, on Okaloosa Island, just south of Fort Walton Beach, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“The (sheriff’s office) received a 9-1-1 call from someone at 520 Santa Rosa Boulevard shortly after 9 p.m.,” officials said.

“First responders found a visitor from out of state, believed to be in his thirties, on the ground after he apparently fell multiple stories from a condo balcony.”

The man died at the scene. His identity had not been released.

An investigation is underway, but detectives are treating the case as a fatal fall.

It happened at a condominium tower known as the Island Princess, where condos sell in the $660,000 range. The building has multiple spaces listed for rent on Vrbo and other vacation rental sites.

This is the second fatal balcony fall this year in Okaloosa County.

In April, a 17-year-old Michigan tourist on spring break died when he fell from the fourth floor at a Destin condominium, the sheriff’s office said. The body was discovered around 4 a.m. when someone “at a neighboring condo noticed a body on the ground,” officials said.

Alcohol was believed to be involved in the teenager’s death, officials said.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Tourist falls to his death from condo tower balcony in Florida Panhandle, cops say."