This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On July 27, Dalton Cottrell, 22, and his wife Cheyenne exchanged vows in Missouri, beginning their new life together.
However, their honeymoon took a tragic turn when the couple visited Crescent Beach in St. Augustine, Florida, and Dalton decided to go for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean.
What the couple didn't know was that this would be Dalton's first and last time in the ocean, as he tragically drowned just three days after their wedding.
According to Cheyenne, a strong current carried them out to sea, and Dalton began to 'freak out' as he struggled to stay afloat.
Cheyenne tried to help her husband but was dragged underwater by the powerful waves.
A good Samaritan who witnessed the drowning jumped into action, grabbing his paddleboard to help rescue Dalton.
He was joined by a St. Johns County lifeguard, who together managed to bring Dalton back to shore on the board.
Despite performing CPR, Dalton was declared dead at the scene.
Cheyenne took to Facebook to share the devastating news with her friends, writing: '3 days of wedded bliss turned into a nightmare very quickly... Yesterday afternoon while at the beach the Lord decided to call my husband Dalton to come home to Him... Never did I think at 22 would I be a wife and then a widow so quickly.'
