Rip Current — Coastal Cameron, Texas

2010-07-04 · Coastal Cameron, Texas

Event narrative

Two young men drowned when a combination of along shore current with a possible embedded rip current moved them into deeper water east of Public Beach Access Point #2 on South Padre Island during the afternoon of July 4th. While wave height and swell period had decreased markedly in the days following Hurricane Alex (June 30/July 1), enough residual wave and current action remained to create potential deadly conditions on what is normally one of the busier weekends of the summer season.

One of the men drowned between 2:36 and 2:50 PM CDT; the other perished four days later after falling unconscious and ultimately having life support turned off due to brain death. Water conditions suggested a moderate rip current risk with a moderate along shore current, based on sea height of more than 5 feet, a swell period near 7 seconds, and an average period between 4 and 5 seconds, at a representative buoy about 66 miles northeast of the Town of South Padre Island.

Wider weather episode

Two young men became caught in a moderate longshore swell or rip current near Public Beach Access Point #2 on South Padre Island on July 4th. One of the men drowned, and the other was rescued but in critical condition and unconscious at the time. The second man would perish four days later after life support was removed due to brain death.

Residual swells several days in the wake of Hurricane Alex may have contributed to the potential for deadly rip or long shore currents.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 249339. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.