A man who was pulled from the ocean in Surfside, Florida, on Sunday has died, local authorities confirmed, as the National Weather Service (NWS) continues to warn of dangerous rip currents along South Florida beaches.
Why It Matters
The death comes as the Miami area grapples with persistently dangerous beach conditions. The NWS office in Miami issued a warning in effect through Tuesday evening, warning that “dangerous rip currents” are expected in coastal Palm Beach County, coastal Broward County and coastal Miami Dade County.
The U.S. Lifesaving Association reports that rip currents account for over 80 percent of beach rescues annually. On average, rip currents kill more people in Florida than hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning combined, according to the NWS office in Melbourne.
What to Know
The fatal incident in Surfside, located in Miami-Dade County, occurred amid an active alert for hazardous beach conditions driven by strong onshore winds and rough surf.
Lifeguards responded to a report of a missing swimmer around 7 p.m. Eastern time in the area of 90th Street and Collins Avenue. He was found unresponsive in the water and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to a report from NBC Miami. The man has not yet been publicly identified, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has ruled his death accidental.
That same day, Miami Beach Ocean Rescue responded to two near drownings in the area of 16th Street and Ocean Drive. The two swimmers were rescued and released after being checked by medics.
“Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water,” the NWS noted in its alert published Sunday. “Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.”
NWS general forecaster Will Redman, who works at the Miami office, told Newsweek there’s an average of four drownings a year attributed to rip currents in Miami.
On Sunday morning, NWS Miami posted on X: “High risk of rip currents continues today. Breezy east winds and rough surf will continue along the Atlantic beaches. Please swim near lifeguards and do not enter the water alone.”
Last week, a teenager died after encountering dangerous surf conditions in Fort Lauderdale.
What People Are Saying
Redman told Newsweek: “Anytime we have strong winds onshore, there’s a higher chance of rip currents.”
Witness Everlayn Borges told NBC Miami: “They were trying to give him CPR and he was not responding. At this point it was very sad, because he was with some friends and they were witnessing what was happening and the whole thing was very heartbreaking.”
Borges added: “You are never really comfortable seeing someone on the worst day of their life, it is definitely very dangerous this time of year and it would be good if everybody would be mindful to not trust the ocean, because it is very unpredictable.”
What Happens Next
With east winds forecast to continue along the Atlantic coast, the NWS has extended its caution for hazardous beach conditions through early in the week. In its advisory, the agency highlighted a “high risk” of rip currents and urged swimmers to consult lifeguards and avoid entering the water alone
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