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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCoast Guard: Watch Out for Dangerous Surf and Riptides Over Holidays

Coast Guard: Watch Out for Dangerous Surf and Riptides Over Holidays

Watch out for dangerous surf and riptides at the territory’s beaches during the upcoming holiday season, the U.S. Coast Guard advised in a press release issued Tuesday. The Coast Guard urged beach goers to exercise caution.

While high seas and rip currents were a problem earlier in the week, meteorologist Ernesto Morales at the National Weather Service in San Juan said Wednesday morning that things were back to normal. However, he said, residents and visitors should look for more dangerous beach conditions during the winter season.

“Every week or two we get a moderate to high swell due to storms from the east coast of the United States,” he said.

A rip current is a powerful channel of water that flows quickly away from shore. They often occur at low spots or breaks in the sandbar. Any object or person caught in a rip current can be pulled out into deeper seas.

If you become caught in a rip current, do not panic. The way to escape a rip current is to swim parallel to the shore. Once you are away from the force of the rip current, begin to swim back to the beach. Do not attempt to swim directly against the current, as you can become easily exhausted, even if you are a strong swimmer.

Since Friday, the Coast Guard has responded to multiple search and rescue cases in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico involving swimmers, beachgoers, surfers and boaters who were swept out to sea or overcome by the dangerous surf and rip currents in the area.

On Saturday, the Coast Guard responded to a search and rescue case at Peterborg Point on St. Thomas. A 27-year-old Canadian citizen who reportedly was swimming with co-workers in a tidal pool was overtaken by a wave that washed him into a rocky channel. He was last seen being submerged by the seas.

Coast Guard and Virgin Islands authorities also responded to a second case that same afternoon to search for an 18-year-old man who reportedly was boogie boarding in Annaly Bay on St. Croix. He was overtaken by a wave and was last seen being pulled out to sea.

Following a two-day interagency search effort to find the man, Planning and Natural Resources Department personnel in St. Croix confirmed finding his body.

“Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims on the loss of their loved ones,” Capt. Robert Warren, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander, said in the press release. “Swimmers and the general public must exercise caution by staying away from shoreline rocks and jetties during periods of high surf and be wary of undertow and riptides, even in shallow water. Doing so could save your life or the lives of your loved ones.”

The Coast Guard’s primary concern is the safety of persons engaged in water activities, especially during this holiday high travel period where thousands of visitors to the region may be unfamiliar with the hidden dangers of unmarked or open sea beaches.

The Coast Guard Rescue Sub-Center contact number to report a distress or rescue situation in the Virgin Islands is 787-289-2041, while VHF Channel 16 is the international distress frequency to report maritime emergencies.

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