Panama City Beach, Florida Sees Fifth Riptide Victim in Less Than a Week

Tragedy has struck Panama City Beach, Florida this Sunday as a fifth swimmer within four days lost their life to the area’s dangerous riptides. Debbie Szymanski, a 60-year-old woman from St. Louis, Missouri, was found unresponsive by family members and later pronounced dead, yet another victim of the deadly currents that continue to plague this popular tourist destination.

The Incidents

This fatal incident follows hot on the heels of other, similar tragedies. Just two days prior, three young men from Alabama also fell prey to the devastating riptides shortly after entering the water for a swim. The three men, Harold Denzel Hunter, Jemonda Ray, and Marius Richardson, all in their mid-20s, were part of a group of friends visiting the beach for a relaxing getaway.

Even further back, only last Thursday, a 19-year-old Ryker Milton from Oklahoma fell victim to yet another rip current. These unfortunate incidents add up to a total of five riptide-related deaths in a remarkably short span of time, triggering alarms about beach safety and the perilous rip currents.

Warning to Beach Goers

The local authorities, including the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, have been active in issuing warnings to beach goers via public posts. Single red flags have been posted all along the Florida shorelines signaling the presence of such dangerously strong water currents.

Just last week, a Pennsylvania couple who had been vacationing with their six children in Florida tragically drowned after being caught in a rip current while swimming. Luckily, two of their teenage children who also got caught were able to escape and swim ashore when the situation became dire.

Understanding Riptides

Rip currents, often wrongly called rip tides, are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water. They are commonly found along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, approximately 100 people succumb to rip currents on U.S. beaches each year.

Riptide Safety

If ever caught in a rip current, it’s crucial to remember that swimming directly back to the shore is counterintuitive. The recommended approach is to swim along the shoreline to escape the current’s pull. Trying to swim against the current will only result in exhausting oneself, making survival even more challenging.