Rip Current — Central Interior, Puerto Rico

2025-01-19 · Central Interior, Puerto Rico

Event narrative

A 63-year-old man was fishing with his son at a boat ramp near Playa Abacoa, close to the mouth of Cao Tiburones in Arecibo. At approximately 5:40 AM AST, the man lost his footing and fell into the water, where strong rip currents swiftly carried him into open waters. His son immediately alerted emergency services, leading to a rapid mobilization of local resources, including the U.S. Coast Guard. Later that day, his shoe and baseball cap were discovered approximately a mile and a half offshore. The search efforts continued until the afternoon of January 20 (the following day), when his body was found near Club Nautico de Arecibo at around 3 PM.

Wider weather episode

A fading northerly swell and breezy to locally windy conditions promoted life-threatening rip currents for the northern coast of Puerto Rico, among other areas, on January 19th. A high risk of rip currents was in effect for northern Puerto Rico, due to breaking waves of around 6 feet. A rip current related death occurred in Arecibo before sunrise on January 19th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1224881. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.