Rip Current — Volusia, Florida

2012-09-21 · Volusia, Florida

Event narrative

A 17 year old boy from Avon Park, Florida was swimming in the ocean with three others at an unguarded beach off Bethune Beach Park in New Smyrna Beach during a period of enhanced rip currents. Three of the swimmers were rescued, but the body of the fourth swimmer was recovered from the surf a few hours later. The medical examiner classified the death as a drowning.

Wider weather episode

Numerous and strong rip currents impacted the beaches of east-central Florida from late on September 15 until late on September 29 due to long-period swell associated with distant and very long-lived Hurricane Nadine. A 66 year old male was caught in a rip current offshore Cocoa Beach and drowned on September 16 and a 17 year old boy drowned on September 21 after being caught in a rip current offshore New Smyrna Beach. Beach Patrols across the east-central Florida coast observed rip currents throughout mid to late September and conducted numerous rescues.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 406469. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.