High Surf — Indian River, Florida

2016-12-29 · Indian River, Florida

Event narrative

A 58-year old man from New York was standing in the ocean facing the shoreline when a large wave crashed into him from behind. Rescuers found the man face down in the water and performed CPR on him until medical crews arrived and transported him to a local hospital, where he died the following day. An autopsy revealed he died of a broken neck, after being hit by a large wave. A nearby wave buoy observed 3 foot seas at the time of the incident and life guards indicated occasional large swells up to 5 feet, breaking close to the shore in knee-deep water.

Wider weather episode

A man standing in the surf at Vero Beach was knocked down by a large wave. After being rescued from the ocean and transported to a hospital, he later died due to a broken neck, resulting from the wave impact.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 664592. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.