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 For years, Daniel L. Earnhardt sold auto parts with his father but finally found his passion a few years ago in landscaping. He started his own business, Viper Lawn Care, and landed a contract to cut the grass at some Bayou Club Estates homes in Pinellas Park. Earnhardt, 56, died Thursday morning doing what he loved: cutting grass. His riding mower slipped into a pond adjoining the back yard with the Bayou Club golf course on Belcher Road. Golf course workers saw a wheel from the mower sticking out of the pond and investigated. They found Earnhardt, pulled him out and began CPR. Earnhardt, 2235 Burlington Ave. N, St. Petersburg, was transported to St. Petersburg General Hospital, where he died. It was his first day using the newly purchased machine. "He had just gotten this lawn mower, he was so excited," said his wife, Sylvia Earnhardt. "He just really loved his work very much." Sheriff's Office spokesman Mac McMullen said it's unclear what caused Earnhardt to lose control but noted the area where he was mowing is on a steep incline.
Sylvia Earnhardt said her family is shocked by his death."We're all stunned, I just wasn't expecting anything like this," she said. "He was such a good person, and everyone liked him."
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Norman Hall (Hall)
I knew Danny not only from school but he and his parents went to our church. Danny was always a funny and very friendly guy.
I will never forget the summer of 67 after we graduated. Danny, myself, John Krause and Mike McSween worked together at IRJC. We had the unenviable job of catologing and putting numbers on every single desk, chair, table or anything that wasn't nailed down there at the school. We all worked for Bill Wright,one of the administrators there. Needless to say there were more than a few halarious and michevious moment over the course of those summer months. It all culminated when at the end of the summer we decided to take a long Labor Day weekend together and go camping. We piled into some station wagon that Danny had procurred and off we headed to Ginny Springs on a wing and a prayer with a small jon boat and a motor( never did get it to start). It was a memory filled weekend that I'm sure none of us will ever forget...especially the night we sat at the table and watched a whole loaf of bread leap off of the table....fall on the ground and slide off into the dense brush before we could even react. We sat and listened to the coons fight over that bread the rest of the night...LOL Rest in Peace Danny