Rip Current — Coastal Cameron, Texas

2011-08-10 · Coastal Cameron, Texas

Event narrative

A 44 year old man visiting from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico was found face down in the surf just north of the Los Corales Condominiums north of Andy Bowie Park (8500 block of Padre Boulevard), near Public Beach Access Point 5. After attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful, he was pronounced dead either en route or after arrival at Valley Baptist Hospital in Harlingen.

Wider weather episode

Rough swells, set up by offshore seas of 4 to 5 feet with a period between 6 and 7 seconds, set up by persistent southeast winds of 15 to 18 knots with higher gusts well offshore, produced moderate rip currents along South Padre Island August 10th. The currents are believed to have been a key reason for the first drowning in August and second of the summer.

The drowning was the sixth of 2011, five by rip or alongshore current. Each of the five was a resident of northern Mexico.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 322070. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.