UPDATE: Main Harbor Marina is offering a $500 reward if anybody can find Buddy the cockatoo.
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According to authorities, a popular Rankin County man died of a medical condition while boating Saturday night.
The Reservoir Police Department said in a Sunday statement that they received a call around 10 PM Saturday about an unoccupied boat near the rocks on the upper road.
Officers arrived at 10:05 PM, found the boat unoccupied, and began searching the area. They located a male, later identified as Steve Cermak of Brandon, floating in the water around 300 yards west of his boat. Cermak was affectionately known by his group of friends as “Scooba Steve” and was a much-loved local character in the Reservoir community.
Officers retrieved Cermak from the water, but he was already deceased, said Chief Carlos DiPuma.
Rankin County Coroner David Ruth said it appears Cermak suffered a medical emergency and fell from his boat.
A post circulating Facebook from Cermak’s daughter said his pet bird, Buddy, was also on the boat with him but has not been found. Buddy is a white cockatoo, and the family is asking for anyone who sees him to contact authorities.
The Reservoir Police Department extends its deepest condolences to Mr. Cermak’s family. The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Reservoir Fire Department, Padford Ambulance, and the Rankin County Coroner’s Office also responded to the scene.
