Event narrative (NOAA)
A 69-year-old white male from Oregon was swimming in the surf around 1630LST off Jerry Park in Cape Canaveral (an unguarded beach) when family members lost sight of him. He was then located unresponsive in the water approximately 100 yards offshore and transported to a local hospital in critical condition where he was later pronounced deceased. Although no one saw what actually happened, his family reported feeling a strong current pulling away from shore. He was considered a strong swimmer that had visited many beaches before. Distant Hurricane Larry produced moderate, long-period swells on this day, leading to a high risk of numerous and strong rip currents. The Medical Examiner listed drowning as the cause of death.
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.