Rip Current — Coastal Palm Beach County, Florida

2011-04-24 · Coastal Palm Beach County, Florida

Event narrative

A 78-year-old male Canadian tourist drowned as a result of rip currents at an unguarded beach in the 3100 Block of South Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton, very close to the Palm Beach/Broward county line. The man was swimming with his girlfriend when she went out too far and got caught in a rip current. He rescued the woman, but had to be taken to the hospital and died the following evening.

The woman made it to shore and was hospitalized with a minor heart attack.

Wider weather episode

Atlantic high pressure provided for moderate to strong east winds along the southeast Florida coast, leading to the development of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 305032. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.