Event narrative (NOAA)
Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue reported that a 60-year-old man from Sanford, Florida drowned at Daytona Beach near the boardwalk due to high surf after he waded into the water at an unguarded beach. Rip currents were also present at the beach when the incident occurred, but high surf was the greater hazard. Bystanders reported the man started struggling in the high waves after he was chest-deep in the water. Lifeguards responded to the scene after receiving a 9-1-1 call and after a brief search pulled the man unresponsive from the water. CPR was performed on the man and he was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries shortly after 1800 LST.
Other notable high surf events in Florida
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.