Authorities are investigating after a man drowned in a Davie lake after he went into the water to rescue his pet parrot on Sunday, police said.
Davie Police officials said the man's parrot fell in the water in the 2700 block of Southwest 79th Avenue.
The man, identified as 40-year-old Dimitrios Alexiou, went into the lake but was not seen getting out of the water.
Neighbors said they saw the entire incident unfold.
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"He started to take his flip flops off and went into the lake, walked into the lake, and I yelled at him 'Don’t do it! Don’t do it!'" one neighbor said. "He started gasping for air very heavily, and when I saw that, that’s when I knew he was in trouble."
The neighbor said he doesn't know how to swim, so he called for help and another person called 911.
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"Coming up and saying help, help! and I couldn’t do anything you know?" the man said.
Another neighbor said he also witnessed the tragedy.
"I see the bird and I see him swimming trying to get back and it’s like he got hung up or got cramped and it wasn’t long after that he went under for the last time," the man said. "He screamed 'help me!' and it was like he jumped up and then went straight down. It was terrible."
Both neighbors said Alexiou's dog jumped in after him to try and save his owner.
Police and fire rescue responded to the scene, and Davie Fire Rescue divers located Alexiou and pronounced him dead, officials said.
The parrot survived the incident, police said.
Friends said Alexiou would have done anything for his two dogs and parrot.
"He is a very caring person. Like I said, he treats his pets like his kids," said Carson Ross, a friend.
The incident remains under investigation but police said no foul play is suspected.
