Rip Current — Cameron, Texas

2011-04-27 · Cameron, Texas

Event narrative

Three young men from northern Mexico were swept to their deaths in dangerous rip currents near the Isla Blanca jetties on South Padre Island. The men took advantage of the warming surf temperatures to venture into the water, only to drown due to the strength of the current and a combination of lack of swimming ability in dangerous surf, and potential panic.

Conditions were ripe for rip currents. A front had shifted winds to the north and northeast, and swell period increased to 8 and 9 seconds, with average period rising to 6.9 seconds at the NOAA Buoy about 35 NM east northeast of Port Mansfield. Surf heights were likely 4 to 6 feet, and the swell direction was from a favorable east-southeast direction.

The swimmers ventured out at around 6 PM. A 22 year old was pulled out of the water during the mid evening and taken to Valley Baptist Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An 18 year old was last seen in distress and unable to be rescued Wednesday evening; the Coast Guard found him early on the 29th at Boca Chica Beach, several miles south of the location where he entered the water. A third victim, 12, was never found after several days of Coast Guard searches, which ended on May 1st.

Wider weather episode

A marginally dangerous easterly swell, invitingly warm water temperatures, and focus around jetties on South Padre Island proved a dangerous mix during the evening of April 27th, when three young males with limited swimming experience ventured into the Gulf and were swept away from the coast by rip currents. One body was found later that evening, another found two days later, and the search was called off for the third after nearly a week.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 290116. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.