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Surf Zone Fatalities in the United States in 2023: 98

Weather.gov > Safety > Surf Zone Fatalities in the United States in 2023: 98

 

 

 

Preliminary data on fatalities which occurred in the surf zones across National Weather Service areas of forecast responsibility through January 8 2024. This data is preliminary and locations of fatalities are approximate. Click on the location of a drowning for additional information. The GIS map below can also be found here. Data can be download here.  A GIS Dashboard is also available which shows drownings based upon user selected parameters.

 

 Rip Current High Surf Other Current Unknown Other

Click on Column Header in Table Below To Sort

Rip
Current

High
Surf

Sneaker
Wave

Other
(see Key)

Not
Known

Location

ST

M/F

Age

Date
X         Jabos Beach PR M 73 1/18
X         Talofofo Beach GU M 68 1/27
X         Vacia Talega Beach PR M 35 1/28
X         Fanshell Beach CA M 27 1/28
X         Flamenco Beach PR M 70 2/19
X         Melbourne Beach FL M 47 2/19
X         Indialantic Beach FL M Unkn 2/19
X         Miramar Beach FL M 20 2/25
X         Steps Beach PR F 49 3/2
X         Playa Caracoles PR M 33 3/3
X         Playa Caracoles PR M 13 3/3
      X *2   Plreasure Island Pier TX M 13 3/5
      X *2   Plreasure Island Pier TX M 13 3/5
X         Gulf Shores AL M 69 3/5
X         Indiatlantic Beach FL M 18 3/10
X         Johnson Bayou LA F 28 3/12
X         Johnson Bayou LA F 8 3/12
X         Johnson Bayou LA F 7 3/12
X         La Boca Beach PR M 47 3/16
X         La Boca Beach PR M 50 3/16
X         La Pared Beach PR M Unkn 3/16
  X       Moss Landing Beach CA F 27 3/23
  X       Moss Landing Beach CA M 7 3/23
X         Las Picuas Beach PR M 40 3/24
X         Escondida Beach PR M 55 3/24
X         Indiatlantic (Fifth Avenue boardwalk) FL M 75 3/24
X         La Concha Beach PR M 50 4/4
X         Saint Augustine Beach (1 mile south of pier) FL M 21 4/6
X         Perdido Key FL M 13 4/6
X         Perdido Key FL M 16 4/6
X         Perdido Key FL M 50 4/6
X         Miramar FL M 13 4/7
      X *2   Pass-a-Grille Beach FL M 42 4/23
      X *2   Pass-a-Grille Beach FL F 10 4/23
X       Shirah Beach FL M 39 4/28
X       Ocean City MD M 21 5/6
X       Cannon Beach OR M 18 5/12
X       Punta Salinas PR M 52 5/27
X       Jacksonville Beach FL M 19 5/28
X       Sandy Hook Beach NJ M 15 5/29
X       Daytona Beach FL M 22 5/29
X       North Daytona Beach FL M 42 6/2
X       Neptune Beach FL M 19 6/6
      X   Huntington Beach SC M 16 6/6
X       Avon-by-the-Sea NJ M 39 6/9
X       Panama City Beach FL M 52 6/15
X       Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach IN M 71 6/15
X       Lea Island NC M 38 6/17
X       Panama City Beach FL M 47 6/18
X       Myrtle Beach (12th Ave S) SC M 18 6/20
X       Porter Beach IN M 19 6/20
X       Pawleys Island SC M 70 6/21
X       Foster Beach IL F 19 6/21
X       Panama City Beach FL M 53 6/21
X       Panama City Beach FL M 47 6/22
X       Gulf Shores AL M 49 6/22
X       Blue Mountain Beach FL M 49 6/22
X       Fort Morgan AL M Unkn 6/23
X       Miramar Beach FL M 58 6/24
X       Panama City Beach FL M 39 6/24
X       Panama City Beach FL M 63 6/24
X       Panama City Beach FL M 68 6/24
X       Fort Fisher NC M 58 7/1
X       Mickler's Landing Beach FL M 42 7/1
X       Cocoa Beach (Lori Wilson Park) FL M 66 7/2
X       Los Congres Beach PR M 43 7/4
X       Near Cresent Beach FL M NA 7/4
X       Surf City NC M 43 7/12
X       1 miles SE of Wilbur-By-The-Sea> FL M 37 7/15
X       Panama City Beach (Rick Seltzer Park FL F 48 7/24
X       Dunes Park Beach RI M 15 7/27
X       Coney Island State Park NY M 15 7/27
X       Jacob Riis Park NY M 19 7/28
X       Miller Beach IN M 18 7/28
X       Misery Beach MI M 7 7/29
X       Lake Shore Park OH M 23 7/29
X       Simmons Island Beach WI M 58 7/29
X       Elder Lane Park Beach IL M 19 8/15
X       1 SE Daytona Beach Shores FL M 76 8/24
X       Rehoboth Beach DE M 31 9/3
X       Belmar Beach NJ M 42 9/3
X       Beach Haven NJ M 22 9/3
X       Seaside Park NJ M 31 9/3
X       Near Summit Park MI M 82 9/3
X       Ocean City MD M 68 9/6
X       Whiting Lakefront Park IN M 27 9/9
X       Poza del Obispo Beach PR M 65 9/13
X       Fernandina Beach FL M 14 9/13
X       Balneario La Monserrate PR M 15 9/17
X       La Posita de Pinones PR F 31 9/18
X       Montones Beach PR M 13 11/4
X       Jensen Beach FL M 17 11/6
    X   Point Reyes CA M Unkn 11/10
X       Flamenco Beach PR M 42 11/20
X       Martins Beach CA M 54 11/25
X       Martins Beach CA F 5 11/25
X       Playa Escondida PR M 25 12/9
X       Isla Roque Beach PR F 63 12/14
90 2 1 5 0         Total: 98

Key: 1: longshore current, 2: tidal current, 3: outlet current, 4: structural current, 5: shore break, 6: strong current, 7: channel current, 8: inlet current, 9: sandbar, 10: waves and dangerous currents
*American Samoa, ? : unknown

Accurately tracking these types of fatalities is difficult because so many go unreported and undocumented. Due to the difficult nature of tracking surf zone fatalities; these data may not match other sources.

  • Surf Zone: area of water between the high tide level on the beach and the seaward side of the breaking waves. The NWS officially categorizes surf zone fatalities caused by three types of hazards; Rip Current, High Surf and Sneaker Wave (see definitions below).
  • Rip Current: A relatively small-scale surf-zone current moving away from the beach. Rip currents form as waves disperse along the beach causing water to become trapped between the beach and a sandbar or other underwater feature. The water converges into a narrow, river-like channel moving away from the shore at high speed.
  • High Surf: Large waves breaking on or near the shore resulting from swells spawned by a distant storm.
  • Sneaker Wave: Large wave that suddenly swamps a beach/coast and takes people by surprise sweeping them into the water.

Occasionally, there are surf zone fatalities caused by other hazards such as unusual waves and currents. These hazards fall in the “Other” category. “Other” is not an official category defined by the NWS. Rip Currents cause a large of percentage of the surf zone fatalities in the United States. Typically, a victim of a surf zone hazard is a male between the ages of 10-29. Most of the fatalities occur during the months of June and July and in the NWS Southern Region.