Rip Current — Coastal Walton, Florida

2007-03-22 · Coastal Walton, Florida

Event narrative

Walton County Sheriff officials reported that a man drowned while attempting to rescue four people who were in distress on a raft. The four people on the raft made it safely to shore. The man was trapped in a combination of a rip current and a long shore current running parallel to the beach. The drowning occurred more than 800 yards from the nearest lifeguard tower at Miramar Beach.

Wider weather episode

Fifty rip currents were reported in the waters off Walton County by the South Walton County Fire District during the afternoon of March 22. These rip currents were directly responsible for the drownings of two men, one at Grayton Beach, and the other at Miramar Beach.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 21470. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.