A former NFL quarterback, a firefighter from Georgia and two fathers who drowned while trying to save their children are among at least 10 recent victims of dangerous rip currents along Gulf of Mexico beaches stretching across Florida's Panhandle to Mobile, Alabama.
Many of the deaths have occurred on days with double red flags — which are posted at beach entrances and on lifeguard stations — that warn beachgoers of potential rip currents. Seven deaths since mid-June have occurred around Panama City Beach, including ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, 35, who drowned Tuesday in nearby Destin after getting caught up in a strong rip current. One person drowned June 20 in Orange Beach, Alabama, and another drowned June 23 in nearby Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The Gulf of Mexico's white sandy beaches are a draw for tourists, and as the busy Fourth of July holiday approaches, officials are hoping beachgoers will take extra precaution.
“I’m beyond frustrated at the situation that we have with tragic and unnecessary deaths in the Gulf,” Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford wrote in a Facebook post, accompanied by an aerial view that shows deep trenches that rip currents dug into the shoreline along Panama City Beach. “I have watched while deputies, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on Father's Day.”
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Ford says his deputies have been cursed at as they've tried to warn visitors of the "life-threatening dangers” in the Gulf of Mexico.
He said deputies have handed out $500 fines when they've seen people in the water during double red flag days.
“We don’t have the resources or time to cite every single person that enters the water but we do our absolute best to use it as a deterrent to entering the water,” Ford said, explaining that an arrest is only authorized upon a second offense, unless the person resists law enforcement.
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The sheriff notes there is only so much local officials can do, so he's asking tourists and residents to pay close attention to the flag status at the beach.
"Personal responsibility is the only way to ensure that no one else dies," he wrote.
That message is echoed by Greg Dusek, a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ocean service unit. He said that people can't always see the deep channels on the shoreline caused by rip currents, or even tell how dangerous conditions are by the weather.
“Waves can happen when there's a storm where you are, but they can also happen from storms far away,” Dusek said. “It can be a really nice day at the beach, beautiful, not even much wind. But you have swells coming in from storms hundreds of miles away potentially, and those waves are big enough to drive in rip currents.”
Those are the days that officials often see higher numbers of water rescues and drownings.
“That’s why I think one of the big messages needs to be: Understand the flag system for the beach you are going to, and follow that guidance,” he said.
A rip current is a powerful, narrow channel of water flowing away from the beach and often extending through the breaker zone where waves form. They can emerge on sunny days, and can quickly sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
While the popular Shark Week documentaries and the movie “Jaws” may have etched the fear of sharks into many beachgoers, drownings caused by rip currents claim many more lives. For example, in 2022 there were 108 documented shark bites of all types on humans worldwide, according to the International Shark File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Of those, Florida accounted for 16 bites, all nonfatal, among the 41 in the U.S. There was one fatality in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, through June 24, 2023, NOAA statistics show 55 deaths related to rip currents in the U.S. The seven deaths in Panama City Beach came between June 15 and 24.
“Even if there are red flags flying, people look at the water and say, ‘Oh, I’ve been in waves that big before. It doesn’t look that dangerous,’” Dusek said.
“Many times people don’t think about it, and they're caught off guard by the risk,” he said. “I guess that’s natural human mentality. You get to the beach, you just want to have a good time with your family. You're not necessarily thinking about what can go wrong.”
