Rip Current — Coastal Santa Rosa, Florida

2013-07-20 · Coastal Santa Rosa, Florida

Event narrative

Two swimmers in the surf were overtaken by strong rip currents. One of the swimmers was rescued by lifeguards and taken to the hospital where he recovered from his injuries, while the other drowned and was found 2 hours later just before sunset. The drowning victim was Jeremy Aaron Johnson, a 39 year old physical fitness trainer from New Orleans, Louisiana who was vacationing in the Navarre area.

Wider weather episode

Strong south winds aided in the development of strong rip currents on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 in the surf zone along the beaches of NW Florida from Pensacola Beach to Destin.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 481884. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.