Rip currents leave six dead in Florida

At least six tourists have died so far this summer on the beaches of Florida due to strong rip currents, popularly known as undertow.

The deaths of the bathers occurred in Panama City Beach, located in the Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico, and on Hutchinson Island, on the Treasure Coast, southeast of Florida.

The state authorities decided to close several beaches on Sunday after meteorological experts issued alerts for the weekend and announced that the dangerous conditions are likely to persist in the coming days.

The first death occurred on Thursday, when a teenager was dragged by the waves at a beach in Panama City, he was rescued alive but died at the hospital.

The next day, around 8:00 pm, three young people from Alabama were dragged by a rip current and died. According to the Bay County Sheriff's Department, the three were pulled out of the sea separately and taken to the hospital, where they were declared dead.

On Sunday, another swimmer was rescued, given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and survived.

The other two victims are a couple from Pennsylvania who were strolling with their children on Hutchinson Island. The children managed to swim to the shore, but the parents were dragged out into the Atlantic by the rip current. According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, they were found unconscious and died at the hospital.

In April, the National Weather Service issued a warning for swimmers in Florida due to dry weather conditions, which are reflected in the impact of east winds and a high risk of rip currents.

Breaking waves of approximately five to eight feet in height were forecasted in the bay, as well as high surf in Broward County.

More than 30 swimmers died after encountering rip currents in Florida in 2023, with over half of the incidents occurring in the Panhandle.

In the middle of last year, a dozen people drowned due to this cause, raising alarms on the beaches of Florida, where lifeguards were overwhelmed trying to prevent people from entering the water, despite the red flag warnings.

Seven out of the 12 deaths occurred in Panama City Beach.

Around that time, more than 500 people had to be rescued on the beaches of the state during the weekend before July 4th and the following days.