CNN Legal Expert Dies In Bizarre Way

Page Pate, an attorney who was known for appearing often as a guest on CNN, passed away on Sunday at the age of 55 after being carried away by a rip current off the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

According to CNN, Pate and his son were swimming at Gould’s Inlet beach at around 2:00 p.m. local time when they were both caught in a rip current. While Pate’s kid was able to swim back to the beach safely, Pate’s corpse was found by a rescue boat, and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

CNN contributor and constitutional law attorney Page Pate has died at 55. Pate died after being swept out into a rip current off the coast of St. Simons Island, Georgia, Glynn County Fire-Rescue Acting Chief Vinnie DiCristofalo told CNN. https://t.co/HsJYfcxmFW

— CNN (@CNN) September 13, 2022

Pate was a member of the executive board of the Georgia Innocence Project and worked as an attorney with the law firm Pate, Johnson & Church, which was located in Atlanta, Georgia. He appeared on CNN, as well as the NBC and CBS stations in Atlanta, on a regular basis as a legal guest and commentator.

The Washington Examiner had more details to share about Pate’s sudden death:

“Above all else, we will remember Page’s kindness and generosity, always willing to give anything he could to help, whether it be a personal matter or professional, and never asking for anything in return,” the Georgia Innocence Project said in a statement on Twitter. “Today, we share our deepest condolences with Page’s family and loved ones as we mourn our collective, devastating loss at his passing.”

Pate had 25 years of experience in civil litigation and criminal defense and helped resolve international legal disputes for multiple countries, according to his firm. Pate leaves behind a wife and two sons.

Rip currents, which are unseen to the untrained eye, were responsible for the loss of more than 98 individuals’ lives. A year ago, fatalities in the surf zone were the third biggest cause of weather-related mortality, behind only heat and floods. Waves and high surf were also contributors to this ranking. Rip currents are characterized by the formation of quick and powerful water streams that are capable of carrying swimmers away.

Beach drownings have been described as a “neglected public-health concern” by Dave Benjamin, one of the co-founders of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. These deaths are fully avoidable. He is one of several beach safety activists who are pushing for more public education, improved signage, flotation devices, and more lifeguards who have received the appropriate level of training.

Nobody is tough or strong enough to fight a rip current that’s why it’s always important to know what to do when you get stuck in one. Check out this video that goes into details on what you should do if you ever get stuck in a rip current:

Pete isn’t the only famous person to die in a rip current within the last two years, WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard also lost his life in a rip current in March of this year. Friends be careful if you’re going to the beach and always pay attention to lifeguards.