A day at the beach was supposed to be fun in the sun.
But there’s a hidden danger lurking in the water.
And a trip to a Florida beach became a nightmare after this scary situation.
Rip current are the hidden danger at the beach
Shark attacks get the headlines when it comes to danger in the ocean, but the deadliest threat in the water is often overlooked.
Almost half of all rescues made by lifeguards are from rip currents.
More than 100 beachgoers are killed every year by rip currents.
Rip currents are strong currents that move away from the shore at high speed.
Swimmers typically try to fight them because they can feel themselves being pulled out to sea, but that can lead to drowning as they run out of energy.
“Essentially, they’re rivers of the sea,” University of Delaware researcher Wendy Carey said. “People start going under because they panic, and they feel like the current is pulling them under. There is no current that will pull you under in the ocean.”
Rip current kills one and leaves two injured at a Florida beach
A 17-year-old teenager and two others were injured after they were caught in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach in Florida.
Andrew Mannino helped rescue the teenagers after he switched his plans to go to Juno Beach and went to Lake Worth because it was less crowded.
“It ended up being really packed, so we ended up coming to Lake Worth, close to home,” Mannino recalled.
He was relaxing on the beach when he noticed the teenagers were struggling in the ocean.
“All of a sudden, I hear someone from behind them say, ‘Hey, I think they are drowning,’” Mannino said.
The father knew that he had to do something.
“I didn’t even think about it. I just went. I have kids,” Mannino stated.
Seven people had gotten caught up in the rip current that developed off Lake Worth Beach.
He helped two make it back to shore while two others managed to escape the rip current on their own.
“As I was trying to help them, I almost got pulled out myself,” Mannino explained.
Mannino began helping lifeguards with CPR on the teenagers as soon as he got back to shore.
“Once the lifeguards got to shore, I immediately ran over to them and started helping them with CPR,” Mannino said. “When we revived two of them, I helped carry them across the beach as well.”
Rip currents are narrow currents in the surf zone that move quickly away from shore.
That makes them dangerous and potentially deadly. Everything you need to know about them
[📹 usoceangov]pic.twitter.com/dG4w48OwXe— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 25, 2024
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took the 17-year-old to an area hospital, where he later passed away.
Mannino was glad that he was able to make a difference.
“God works in mysterious ways, and I’m just glad I was there,” Mannino stated. “I would do it again.”
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Tom Reyes warned swimmers not to fight a rip current.
“[Y]ou have to swim twice the length of your body every second, and that can tire people out—even the strongest swimmer,” Reyes explained.
Lake Worth Beach, Florida. – A 17-year-old male died & 2 others, a 12-year-old male & a 17-year-old male, were seriously injured after being caught in a rip current while swimming at Lake Worth Beach on Saturday. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a… pic.twitter.com/SX8DHTVhnb
— BreakinNewz (@BreakinNewz01) April 13, 2025
Rip currents are the hidden danger that many beachgoers overlook.
