Teen dies after being caught in FL rip current. Danger claims dozens of lives annually.
A teenager swimming at a beach in Palm Beach County on April 12 died after being caught in a rip current.
A 17-year-old boy died after being caught in a rip current at a south Florida beach, a danger that claims dozens of lives every year in the U.S.
The teen, Oliver Vasquez-Perez, was swimming with two other children at Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County on April 12 when all three were caught by the current, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said, according to a report by the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network. Another 17-year-old and a 12-year-old were treated at a hospital and stabilized.
Rip currents, fast-moving channels of water that flow away from the shore, can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean and exhaust them trying to fight their way out. They’re responsible for the majority of annual surf-zone fatalities, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Thousands of people are estimated to be rescued from rip currents annually.
Last year, 66 people were killed by rip currents in the U.S. and its territories, the data shows. At least 19 of those deaths happened on Florida beaches.
What happened in Florida rip current death
Deputies responded just after 2 p.m. on April 12 near the Lake Worth Pier. Lifeguards and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue emergency workers provided lifesaving CPR to three swimmers and took them to area hospitals.
Two of the swimmers, ages 12 and 17, were taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where they were in stable condition. Police said the two had been under water for an extended period of time.
Vasquez-Perez was taken to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach, where he succumbed to injuries related to drowning, deputies said.
A couple walks along Midtown Beach where red high-hazard flags are flying on Palm Beach on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Beach condition signs warn of rip currents, a strong current and seaweed.
Deadly water hazard plagues Florida beaches
While rip currents can happen at any beach with breaking waves, including at the Great Lakes, waters off the Florida coast have proven in recent years to be some of the most deadly. So far in 2025, at least eight more people have died in rip currents. Four people were killed in high surf, one person died in a “sneaker wave” – waves that surge further up the beach than expected, catching people unaware – and another died from an unknown cause in a surf zone.
During the summer of 2024, four people died within a 48 hour span off of Panama City, Florida. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than any other location in the country, according to National Weather Service data. At least eight people died there that year, while Florida rip currents overall killed more than 30 people. That’s out of 91 total deaths in the U.S.
Since 2010, the vast majority of rip current deaths have happened to men and boys; 635 out of a total 731 victims were male, NOAA data shows. The deaths most often happen during summer months, when beaches are more populated. Many are tourists visiting from other states.
How to avoid a rip current tragedy
Rip currents are so dangerous because they can catch a swimmer off guard and cause them to panic while trying to swim to shore. The exertion causes fatigue before they are able to break free from the current, which continues to pull them out, experts say.
Officials say you should always check weather and water conditions before entering the ocean and always try to swim near a lifeguard. It is illegal in Florida to swim while there are double red flags displayed, which indicate the most hazardous conditions. If single red flags are displayed, it means strong rip currents are expected and you should stay away from the water. Never swim alone.
If you do end up caught in a rip current, try to remain calm. The current won’t pull you under. Don’t swim against the current; instead, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back to land at an angle once you’re free of the rip current.
