Rip Current — Coastal Miami-dade County, Florida

2012-04-29 · Coastal Miami-dade County, Florida

Event narrative

A male tourist in his 30s drowned after being caught in a rip current in rough conditions at the 77th Street beach in Miami Beach. The incident occurred after lifeguards had gone home for the day. The victim and a female friend were caught in the rip current, with the female getting out of the water and calling 911. Miami Beach Fire Rescue arrived on scene and two rescuers went to rescue the victim. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

One of the rescuers was tangled in rope on the way to help the victim and required medical attention at a hospital.

Wider weather episode

Deep and strong easterly flow north of a low pressure area over the Caribbean Sea led to the formation of strong rip currents along the Atlantic beaches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 377587. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.