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Preliminary data on fatalities which occurred in the surf zones across National Weather Service areas of forecast responsibility through October 16 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.

2024 Preliminary Surf Zone Fatalities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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         Guam GU M 8 1/24/2024
X         Playa Montones PR M 39 2/13/2024
X         Escondida Beach PR M 35 3/6/2024
X         La Concha Beach PR M 20 3/10/2024
X         La Concha Beach PR M 34 3/10/2024
X         La Pared PR M 52 3/13/2024
X         Asan GU M 40 3/14/2024
X         Ritidian GU M 28 3/17/2024
X         Montones Beach PR M 40 3/27/2024
X         La Pared Beach PR M 26 3/27/2024
X         American Samoa ASM M Unkn 4/2/2024
X         Dania Beach FL M NA 4/29/2024
X         Destin FL M 75 5/14/2024
X         Jobos Beach PR M 60 5/14/2024
X         Shacks Beach PR M NA 5/19/2024
X         Galveston Beach (Pleasure Pier) TX M 26 5/25/2024
X         Galveston (76th and Seawall Boulevard) TX F 19 5/26/2024
X         Conneaut Township Park OH M 10 5/26/2024
X         Stuart Beach FL M 51 6/20/2024
X         Stuart Beach FL F 48 6/20/2024
X         1 WNW Bid-a-Wee FL M 19 6/20/2024
X         Jacob Riis Park NY M 17 6/21/2024
X         Jacob Riis Park NY M 18 6/21/2024
X         Panama City Beach FL M 24 6/21/2024
X         Panama City Beach FL M 25 6/21/2024
X         Panama City Beach FL M 24 6/21/2024
X         Galveston Beach TX M 17 6/21/2024
X         Panama City Beach FL M 23 6/23/2024
X         2 WNW Hollywood Beach FL F 60 6/23/2024
X         2 NE Evanston IL M 41 6/30/2024
X         Daytona Beach FL M 43 7/3/2024
X         Nags Head NC M 18 7/4/2024
X         Kure Beach NC M 22 7/4/2024
X         Coney Island Beach NY F 17 7/5/2024
X         Coney Island Beach NY F 18 7/5/2024
X         Litchfield Beach SC M 17 7/12/2024
X         Guilarte Beach PR M 86 7/13/2024
X;         Ocean Isle Beach NC F teen 7/14/2024
        X Surf City NC M 57 7/15/2024
X         Lake Superior State Forest Campground (Luce County) MI M 14 7/24/2024
X         Playa Jobos PR M 83 8/11/2024
X         Forest Beach SC M 65 8/16/2024
X         2 SSW Folly Field SC M 73 8/16/2024
X         Surf City NC M 41 8/17/2024
X         Myrtle Beach SC M 15 8/24/2024
X         Destin (James Lee Park) FL M 40 8/31/2024
X         Condado Beach PR F 22 9/8/2024
X         Jobos Beach PR M 59 9/25/2024
X         Piñones Beach PR M 62 10/12/2024
                   

48

      1         Total: 49

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.