Event narrative (NOAA)
A 71 year old man drowned at Madeira Beach when he was pulled away from the coast by a rip current while trying to rescue his 12 year old grandson from high surf. The man was unconscious when he was pulled back to the coast. Other beach goers attempted CPR, but were unable to revive him. The grandson was not injured.
Other notable rip current 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.