Latest news with #AntwonWilson
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rip currents kill dozens every year. What to do if you get caught in one
Forecasters have warned that a former tropical disturbance making its way inland is making Gulf Coast beaches prime for rip currents, a deadly ocean danger that kills dozens every year in the United States. Rip currents are the deadliest of surf-zone dangers, making up the majority of deaths among beach swimmers every year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2010, more than 800 people have died in rip current drownings. So far in 2025, more than three dozen people have died form surf-zone hazards, most of which happened in rip currents, according to the data. Through mid-June, 21 people have died after being caught in rip currents. Most recently, 38-year-old former professional baseball player and father of three Chase Childers died in a rip current on July 13 while trying to rescue a family struggling in the water in South Carolina, authorities said. Earlier this year in April, a 17-year-old boy died after being caught in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. A South Florida dad, Antwon Wilson, was recognized as a hero after he drowned on Father's Day while saving his daughter from a rip current, CBS News reported. Earlier this month on the Fourth of July, a North Carolina man visiting a South Carolina beach drowned after he and his 4-year-old son were dragged away by a rip current; the child was rescued, local station WIS 10 reported. Is it safe to swim?: National Hurricane Center to publish rip current forecast map. During the summer of 2024, four people died within a 48 hour span off of Panama City, Florida, one of the deadliest beaches in the U.S. due to rip currents. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than any other location in the country, according to National Weather Service data. What is a rip current? A rip current is a fast-moving channel of water that flows away from the shore and can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean. The narrow, strong currents flow quickly and perpendicular to the coastline. They typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures such as jetties or piers, according to the NOAA. They are found at all surf beaches, including beaches at the Great Lakes. Their speeds can vary from moment to moment, and can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore. Average speeds are between 1 and 2 feet per second, but they've been recorded as fast as 8 feet per second. That's faster than an Olympic swimmer. Most people who drown in surf hazards, including rip currents, are boys and men between the ages of 10 and 29, data shows. The deaths are most common in June and July. Last year, 66 people were killed by rip currents in the U.S. and its territories, the data shows. At least 19 of those deaths happened on Florida beaches. What to do if you get caught in a rip current Rip currents are so dangerous because they can catch a swimmer off guard and cause them to panic while trying to swim to shore. The exertion causes fatigue before they are able to break free from the current, which continues to pull them out, experts say. Officials say you should always check weather and water conditions before entering the ocean and always try to swim near a lifeguard. If you do end up caught in a rip current, try to remain calm. The current won't pull you under, it will just pull you away from the shore. Don't swim against the current, because you'll risk tiring yourself out; instead, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back to land at an angle once you're free of the rip current. How can you safely help someone else caught in a rip current? Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown. Childers, the former baseball player who drowned over the weekend in South Carolina, "died trying to save others," police said. If you see someone else struggling in a rip current, you should try to get help from a lifeguard, according to the NOAA's Rip Current Survival Guide. You can also throw something that floats to the person who needs help while you find a lifeguard. However, the American Lifeguard Association warns that the U.S. is experiencing an ongoing lifeguard shortage, leaving beaches unstaffed or understaffed. If there is no lifeguard present and you see someone caught in a rip current, call 911. Try to direct the person to swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rip currents are deadly. What if you get caught in one? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rip currents kill dozens every year. What to do if you get caught in one
Forecasters have warned that a former tropical disturbance making its way inland is making Gulf Coast beaches prime for rip currents, a deadly ocean danger that kills dozens every year in the United States. Rip currents are the deadliest of surf-zone dangers, making up the majority of deaths among beach swimmers every year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2010, more than 800 people have died in rip current drownings. So far in 2025, more than three dozen people have died form surf-zone hazards, most of which happened in rip currents, according to the data. Through mid-June, 21 people have died after being caught in rip currents. Most recently, 38-year-old former professional baseball player and father of three Chase Childers died in a rip current on July 13 while trying to rescue a family struggling in the water in South Carolina, authorities said. Earlier this year in April, a 17-year-old boy died after being caught in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. A South Florida dad, Antwon Wilson, was recognized as a hero after he drowned on Father's Day while saving his daughter from a rip current, CBS News reported. Earlier this month on the Fourth of July, a North Carolina man visiting a South Carolina beach drowned after he and his 4-year-old son were dragged away by a rip current; the child was rescued, local station WIS 10 reported. Is it safe to swim?: National Hurricane Center to publish rip current forecast map. During the summer of 2024, four people died within a 48 hour span off of Panama City, Florida, one of the deadliest beaches in the U.S. due to rip currents. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than any other location in the country, according to National Weather Service data. What is a rip current? A rip current is a fast-moving channel of water that flows away from the shore and can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean. The narrow, strong currents flow quickly and perpendicular to the coastline. They typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures such as jetties or piers, according to the NOAA. They are found at all surf beaches, including beaches at the Great Lakes. Their speeds can vary from moment to moment, and can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore. Average speeds are between 1 and 2 feet per second, but they've been recorded as fast as 8 feet per second. That's faster than an Olympic swimmer. Most people who drown in surf hazards, including rip currents, are boys and men between the ages of 10 and 29, data shows. The deaths are most common in June and July. Last year, 66 people were killed by rip currents in the U.S. and its territories, the data shows. At least 19 of those deaths happened on Florida beaches. What to do if you get caught in a rip current Rip currents are so dangerous because they can catch a swimmer off guard and cause them to panic while trying to swim to shore. The exertion causes fatigue before they are able to break free from the current, which continues to pull them out, experts say. Officials say you should always check weather and water conditions before entering the ocean and always try to swim near a lifeguard. If you do end up caught in a rip current, try to remain calm. The current won't pull you under, it will just pull you away from the shore. Don't swim against the current, because you'll risk tiring yourself out; instead, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back to land at an angle once you're free of the rip current. How can you safely help someone else caught in a rip current? Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown. Childers, the former baseball player who drowned over the weekend in South Carolina, "died trying to save others," police said. If you see someone else struggling in a rip current, you should try to get help from a lifeguard, according to the NOAA's Rip Current Survival Guide. You can also throw something that floats to the person who needs help while you find a lifeguard. However, the American Lifeguard Association warns that the U.S. is experiencing an ongoing lifeguard shortage, leaving beaches unstaffed or understaffed. If there is no lifeguard present and you see someone caught in a rip current, call 911. Try to direct the person to swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rip currents are deadly. What if you get caught in one?
USA Today
4 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Rip currents kill dozens every year. What to do if you get caught in one
Forecasters have warned that a former tropical disturbance making its way inland is making Gulf Coast beaches prime for rip currents, a deadly ocean danger that kills dozens every year in the United States. Rip currents are the deadliest of surf-zone dangers, making up the majority of deaths among beach swimmers every year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2010, more than 800 people have died in rip current drownings. So far in 2025, more than three dozen people have died form surf-zone hazards, most of which happened in rip currents, according to the data. Through mid-June, 21 people have died after being caught in rip currents. Most recently, 38-year-old former professional baseball player and father of three Chase Childers died in a rip current on July 13 while trying to rescue a family struggling in the water in South Carolina, authorities said. Earlier this year in April, a 17-year-old boy died after being caught in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. A South Florida dad, Antwon Wilson, was recognized as a hero after he drowned on Father's Day while saving his daughter from a rip current, CBS News reported. Earlier this month on the Fourth of July, a North Carolina man visiting a South Carolina beach drowned after he and his 4-year-old son were dragged away by a rip current; the child was rescued, local station WIS 10 reported. Is it safe to swim?: National Hurricane Center to publish rip current forecast map. During the summer of 2024, four people died within a 48 hour span off of Panama City, Florida, one of the deadliest beaches in the U.S. due to rip currents. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than any other location in the country, according to National Weather Service data. What is a rip current? A rip current is a fast-moving channel of water that flows away from the shore and can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean. The narrow, strong currents flow quickly and perpendicular to the coastline. They typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures such as jetties or piers, according to the NOAA. They are found at all surf beaches, including beaches at the Great Lakes. Their speeds can vary from moment to moment, and can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore. Average speeds are between 1 and 2 feet per second, but they've been recorded as fast as 8 feet per second. That's faster than an Olympic swimmer. Most people who drown in surf hazards, including rip currents, are boys and men between the ages of 10 and 29, data shows. The deaths are most common in June and July. Last year, 66 people were killed by rip currents in the U.S. and its territories, the data shows. At least 19 of those deaths happened on Florida beaches. What to do if you get caught in a rip current Rip currents are so dangerous because they can catch a swimmer off guard and cause them to panic while trying to swim to shore. The exertion causes fatigue before they are able to break free from the current, which continues to pull them out, experts say. Officials say you should always check weather and water conditions before entering the ocean and always try to swim near a lifeguard. If you do end up caught in a rip current, try to remain calm. The current won't pull you under, it will just pull you away from the shore. Don't swim against the current, because you'll risk tiring yourself out; instead, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back to land at an angle once you're free of the rip current. How can you safely help someone else caught in a rip current? Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown. Childers, the former baseball player who drowned over the weekend in South Carolina, "died trying to save others," police said. If you see someone else struggling in a rip current, you should try to get help from a lifeguard, according to the NOAA's Rip Current Survival Guide. You can also throw something that floats to the person who needs help while you find a lifeguard. However, the American Lifeguard Association warns that the U.S. is experiencing an ongoing lifeguard shortage, leaving beaches unstaffed or understaffed. If there is no lifeguard present and you see someone caught in a rip current, call 911. Try to direct the person to swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Florida dad dies after helping save his daughter from drowning on Father's Day
A Florida dad has lost his life after helping save his daughter from drowning in the ocean on Father's Day. That was the tragic story coming out of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, when 33-year-old Antwon Wilson died while his daughter and another adult were hospitalized, according to authorities. Wilson was spending time with his two children on the beach for Father's Day when the minors became distressed in the water by the B Ocean Resort at about 7.30pm, 20 minutes or so after the lifeguards in the vicinity had shifted off duty, authorities told the local news outlet WSVN. Lifeguards returned upon receiving an emergency call for help from the hotel – and when they arrived, they spotted Wilson keeping one of the girls who was still in the water afloat, the Fort Lauderdale fire and rescue battalion chief, Danny Moran, said. Related: Shark nearly bites off nine-year-old girl's hand in attack off Florida coast Another man, identified as bystander Eslam Saad, tried to help Wilson and the girl, Moran said. But 'he became overwhelmed' and had to get out of the water, Moran added. Moran said lifeguards then managed to pull Wilson's daughter out of the ocean, but the father went underwater. Rescuers eventually found him, brought him back to shore and took him to a local hospital alongside his daughter and Saad. At the hospital, Wilson was pronounced dead while his daughter and Saad were expected to fully recover physically, officials said. WSVN spoke with Saad, who recounted instinctively jumping in to help Wilson and his daughter upon hearing people near him scream 'help' repeatedly on Sunday. He said a frightening experience ensued – but he would not change any of his choices if given the chance. 'I would do the same thing no matter the consequences,' Saad reportedly said. Once Saad was at the hospital and OK, he said he tried to ask for Wilson and his daughter, who was described as being younger than 11. Doctors gave him the heartbreaking news about Wilson at that point, Saad remarked. 'They told me her dad was already gone,' Saad said to WSVN. News of Wilson's final moments made national headlines, particularly in corners of the internet dedicated to highlighting selfless acts. His story also spread widely across social media as loved ones paid tribute to him. A statement attributed to his grandmother solicited prayers for her family to have the strength to grieve her grandson, whom she referred to by the nickname 'Twon'. 'I'll always remember the good times we shared,' the grandmother's statement read in part. 'And for that, my God, I say thank you.' A colleague's statement said Wilson worked for a provider of tax and financial services. A separate statement said Wilson had very recently been participating in calls to organize a school reunion. A link to a GoFundMe campaign set up in Wilson's honor for the benefit of his daughters was posted to a social media group for that reunion. Another statement attributed to a childhood friend of Wilson expressed an inability to 'understand why [he] had to go'. 'You [are] definitely a hero, my guy,' yet another friend's statement said. 'See ya on the other side.'
CBS News
22-06-2025
- CBS News
South Florida dad who died saving daughter from drowning on Father's Day honored as hero: "He laid down his life for his child"
South Florida dad who died after saving 2 daughters from drowning on Father's Day remembered as hero South Florida dad who died after saving 2 daughters from drowning on Father's Day remembered as hero South Florida dad who died after saving 2 daughters from drowning on Father's Day remembered as hero A South Florida dad who died after helping save his two daughters from drowning on Father's Day is remembered as a fallen hero. A local organization is celebrating his life and courage as his family speaks out again. The Center for Black Innovation is recognizing what they called the ultimate sacrifice of 33-year-old Antwon Wilson, who gave his life to save one of his daughters from drowning after she was caught in a rip current at Fort Lauderdale Beach last Sunday. On that day, lifeguards managed to pull Wilson's daughter out of the ocean, but her father went underwater. On Saturday, the Center for Black Innovation celebrated his extraordinary courage and CBS News Miami spoke to Antwon Wilson's father, Larry Wilson, about the tribute to his son. "I really appreciate the community's warm, heartfelt messages," he said. "He's my son. I love him dearly, and he's a hero for what he did. He laid down his life for his child. Like I said, anybody would have most possibly did." Antwon Wilson's family, including his two daughters, was invited to the event. Wilson's final moments made national headlines as his story was highlighted as a dad whose selfless act will be remembered.
