ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Oneida High School Girl’s Varsity Soccer Coach, Dale McCormick, has died after drowning in Melbourne, Florida.
According to the Oneida City School District Athletic Director, Bert Conklin, McCormick died on Sunday, February 19, 2023. He drowned trying to save his child’s life.
“That’s the type of person he is,” Conklin said. “Whether it was his kids or anybody he knew I think would have been something that Dale would have done and just shows the type of person that he was and without question just, we’re going to miss him.”
Diane Farina’s daughter is on the soccer team at Oneida High School. Farina has also coached soccer and got to know Dale over the years.
Farina said McCormick was on vacation with his family in Florida. He was caught in the undertow of the water with his son. His daughter was able to make it to shore to get help. Farina said McCormick was trying to help his son, but by that time his son was able to get out of the undertow but McCormick unfortunately was not.
As a coach, Farina described McCormick as high energy.
“Dale would never say no to anybody,” Farina said. “He was a yes, yes, yes and a go, go, go. That’s all he did. He wanted to constantly go and do. And when you said soccer, he was on it. He was all about soccer. He would talk for hours.”
