A series of tragic rip currents off Panama City, Florida, resulted in the deaths of four individuals within 48 hours, reinforcing the area's reputation as one of the country's deadliest beaches.


Authorities reported the discovery of three young men's bodies on Friday evening. These men, who had traveled from Alabama just a few hours before, were found sequentially. On Thursday afternoon, a 19-year-old swimmer lost his life behind Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant in Panama City Beach, despite rescue efforts.


In 2023, Panama City's rip currents were the deadliest in the United States, according to National Weather Service data, with at least eight fatalities. Florida rip currents claimed over 30 lives last year, compared to five in New Jersey and three each in California, South Carolina, and Louisiana.


Rip currents pose a hidden threat on busy summer beaches, dragging swimmers away from shore and exhausting those who try to fight them. The National Ocean Service estimates thousands of rip current rescues annually in the U.S. Although rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes, Florida's coastal waters have proven particularly deadly. This week alone, six individuals have died at Florida beaches, adding to the 11 rip current-related drownings elsewhere in the U.S. and its territories this year through June 9.


Recent fatalities at Florida beaches involved out-of-state visitors. In Panama City, three men from Alabama drowned on Friday while single red flags, indicating hazardous conditions with high surf or strong currents, were flying. The Bay County Sheriff's Office identified the victims as Harold Denzel Hunter, 25; Jemonda Ray, 24; and Marius Richardson, 24, all from the Birmingham area. They entered the water around 8 p.m., shortly after checking into beachfront condominiums and planning a swim before shopping. The sheriff's office responded to distressed swimmer reports just over 10 minutes later. The men were found within a half-mile of their entry point and pronounced dead at local hospitals.


On Thursday, Ryker Milton, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma, drowned in a rip current off Panama City Beach. Milton, who was in his first year of online seminary training, was shadowing a student pastor at New Community Church, a nondenominational Christian church, according to Lead Pastor Simeon Young.


Additionally, a couple from Pennsylvania, Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, drowned on Thursday after being caught in a rip current off Stuart Beach Hutchinson Island. They were vacationing with their six children, two of whom managed to escape the current.


Rip currents claim numerous lives annually. In 2022, 91 people died in rip currents at U.S. beaches, up from the 10-year average of 74 deaths per year. Most victims are males aged 10 to 29, with the majority of incidents occurring in June and July.


Experts highlight the danger of rip currents, noting they often cause panic, leading swimmers to exhaust themselves by trying to swim directly to shore. Officials advise checking water conditions before entering the ocean and swimming near lifeguards. In Florida, it is illegal to swim during double red flag conditions, which indicate the highest hazards. Single red flags signal strong rip currents, recommending people stay out of the water.


Panama City Beach Fire Rescue Beach Safety Director Daryl Paul explained that most water rescues occur during single red flag conditions, emphasizing that rip currents, not waves, are the primary hazard. Two deaths last year happened under single red flags, while seven others in Bay County occurred with double red flags during rough surf conditions.


To survive a rip current, it is crucial to stay calm, swim parallel to the shore, and then swim back to land at an angle once free of the current.