Broward Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances that led up to the apparent drowning. The body of Brian Eccles, 75, was discovered floating in the canal behind his duplex Saturday morning.

Investigators say he lived alone and believe he may have accidentally fallen into the canal. They do not suspect foul play.

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Saturday night around 7:30 p.m., Tyheim Alexis, 30, began hitting Stephanie Chin, 32, at a convenience store in the 7900 block of West Commercial Boulevard in Lauderhill, according to the sheriff’s office.

When Alexis saw the store clerk calling police, he reportedly dragged her to the rear of a nearby bedding store and then into a residential neighborhood in Tamarac where he allegedly continued his attack.

Hearing the woman’s screams, neighbors called 9-1-1 and then tried pull Alexis off the woman, according to the sheriff’s office. When deputies arrived, Alexis tried to escape by jumping into a canal and swimming to the other side.

BSO deputies threw a flotation device into the water but Alexis ignored it. At some point, he went under the water and did not resurface. Several deputies jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue him to no avail

Rescue divers from Lauderhill Fire Rescue found Alexis at the bottom of the canal, in about 15 feet of water and brought him to shore. He was taken to University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.