Woman shares near-death experience at same beach where teen died

The life of a loved teenager will be celebrated by the ones who loved him the most Wednesday night.

In attendance will be a woman who knows all too well what 17-year-old Isaac Breese went through earlier this month at Blind Pass Beach in Sanibel.

In 2019, Gambrel Irizarry had to be saved after being grabbed by a rip current at the same beach Breese and his friends were at.

• READ MORE: Remembering teen who drowned off Sanibel

She said hearing that this young man lost his life in the same exact place she survived a near drowning hits hard, and she thinks about it every single day.

It was an experience that changed her entire life. What was supposed to be a family beach day turned into a life-threatening experience.

“Once I got there on Blind Pass, the storm came, and we knew that a storm was going to come. We thought if it gets bad, well, get out. The conditions of the current didn’t let us get out. The weather took a hold of me,” she said.

It took hold of her and left her 700 yards away from shore, causing her to stop breathing for 21 minutes.

“I don’t remember anything after that. I remember waking up very alone in a hospital room,” Irizarry said.

Irizarry was in a coma for three days, but fast forward five years later, Breese was at the same place she was, who also got caught in the current and passed away.

“A star soccer athlete, someone who had his whole life ahead, didn’t get the chance to show the great person he is,” Irizarry said.

Irizarry knows that beach can be dangerous, and she is calling on county and city leaders to do more than just put up signs.

Breese’s celebration of life is expected to start at seven Wednesday evening at North Fort Myers High School.

Breese’s family has rented the school and stadium and anyone is welcome.