Rip Current — Belau, Guam

2017-03-30 to 2017-03-31 · Belau, Guam

Event narrative

A 37-year-old man died on the reef just off of Ipan Talofofo, Guam.

Guam Fire Department responded to a beach along the east side of Guam after 23:40 on the night of the 30th. At that time fire department personnel pulled a distressed fisherman to safety.

The fisherman told the firefighters that he and a few other people were walking the reef, searching for lobsters. Since the other men could not be seen, searchers combed the Calvo Beach area near Ipan, Talofofo.

Sea heights just off-shore were between 8 and 9 feet as recorded by the Ipan wave rider buoy. The tide was also decreasing during the evening which may have helped enhance already strong currents.

At around 10:00 am on the 31st, a U. S. Coast Guard boat recovered the body of the 37-year-old man outside the reef in front of the Calvo Beach in Ipan, Talofofo Guam.

Wider weather episode

A 37 man died on the reef just off of Talafofo, Guam. The person died while fishing near the end of the month.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 682838. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.