Latest news with #ChaseChilders
Fox News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Deadly rip current fatalities reported amid summer beach season as experts weigh in
With many people soaking up the sun at beaches this summer, recent drownings have been raising awareness about the best practices when encountering a rip current – also widely known as a riptide. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his portrayal of Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," was on a family vacation in Costa Rica when he tragically passed away. Currents pulled Warner, 54, into the waters on July 20. People jumped in to rescue him, yet first responders were unable to revive him, Fox News Digital previously reported. Last week, a decorated former police officer and ex-Baltimore Orioles minor league player tragically drowned in an attempt to save a family in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Chase Childers heroically dove into the water after witnessing four people struggling. Childers was swept away due to the rip current, resulting in his death, Fox News Digital reported. Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Eric Cespedes drowned on July 11 while visiting South Padre Island, Texas. He was rescuing his children from a current but then was pulled under the water himself, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There have already been 36 deaths reported so far this year, according to the National Weather Service. Chris Brewster of the United States Lifesaving Association told Fox News Digital that every year there are reports of citizen rescuers who try to help those struggling in rip currents and do not survive. "We don't recommend that people try to rescue others, partly for this reason, but we do recommend that if people try to rescue others, they always take a floatation device, like a body board, life jacket, or anything that floats," Brewster said. Brewster said that while many say "riptides," the correct terminology is rip currents — as these are not caused by tides. "Rip currents occur at any beach where there is surf. What happens is that the surf pushes water up the slope of the beach. Gravity pulls it back," said Brewster. "It can concentrate in some cases and cause these concentrated currents of water moving away from the beach." Brewster co-authored a peer-reviewed study estimating rip current rescues and drowning in the U.S. published in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. Rip currents were found to cause 81.9% of rescues on surf beaches. It's possible that more than 100 fatal drownings per year occur due to them. Greg Dusek, NOAA's National Ocean Service senior scientist, told Fox News Digital they typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars as well as near structures such as jetties and piers. "Rips can be identified by narrow gaps of darker, seemingly calmer water between areas of breaking waves and whitewater, choppy water, differences in watercolor, and a line of foam, seaweed or debris moving seaward," said Dusek. Brewster said most people are not aware of rip currents while in the water. "They notice that they're further away from the beach than they thought they were, then typically they try to swim back toward the shore and realize they're making no progress," said Brewster. This then "causes panic and that leads them to expend a lot of energy," he said. That's what "results in the drowning ultimately," he said. Stewart Leonard, grocery store chain president, lost his own toddler son in a swimming pool drowning incident back in 1989, inspiring him to open the Stewie the Duck Swim School – teaching children how to swim. "The key is to stay calm, conserve energy and swim parallel to the shore until you're out of the current, then head in at an angle," Leonard told Fox News Digital. Said Brewster, "The big picture is that once you realize this is going on, don't fight the current, because you won't win. Relax, float, and then try to swim out of the rip." There are about 4,500 fatal unintentional drownings each year, with fifty percent of fatal drownings of those over the age of 15 occurring in oceans, lakes and rivers, according to the CDC. Brewster advises beachgoers to swim near a lifeguard, not away from them. Leonard shared that parents should be conscious of their children while at the beach. "Just like having a designated driver when you drink, have a designated watcher when kids are swimming and put your phone down so you aren't distracted while the kids are in the water," said Leonard.
New York Post
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's shocking death raises new swimming safety fears — here's how experts say to avoid drowning in a rip current
The accidental death of 'The Cosby Show' actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has saddened the world — and raised new fears over swimming safety. The beloved TV legend's passing comes amid a record number of drownings on NYC's beaches, where the same type of rip current that claimed Warner in Costa Rica can threaten swimmers just as quickly. However, according to local water education non-profit Rising Tide Effect, a whopping 95% of all such fatalities are preventable — given the proper instruction. 4 New Yorkers enjoy the water at Coney Island — where rip currents can threaten at any time, experts say. Getty Images In the event you're caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is stay calm, swim parallel to the shore out of the current, and wait for rescue or approach the shore, the experts warn. Rip currents do not pull swimmers under — they just draw people out further from the sand, they said. Exerting too much energy kicking or swimming against the current can, in many cases, be fatal. A similar fate to Warner's befell MLB prospect-turned cop Chase Childers while vacationing with his family on Pawleys Island, S.C., earlier this month. The trouble began when a woman asked the dad of three to help save her brood of five, all caught in a current. After heroically saving the swimmers with the help of another nearby man, Childers disappeared into the water — until his body was recovered 90 minutes later by first responders. Authorities suspect that the ballplayer's admirable rescue efforts left him without the strength to make it back to shore. Drownings only take up to a minute to occur, so swimming close to a lifeguard when possible can often be the difference between life and death. In Warner's case, there was no lifeguard present at the time of his death, but signs advising the presence of potential rip currents were reportedly posted on the beach. 4 Chase Childers, 38, drowned just weeks ago during a beach vacation with his family in South Carolina. GoFundMe 4 Warner passed away at age 54 on July 20 during a trip to Costa Rica. Getty Images The actor was enjoying a family vacation in Playa Grande, and was reportedly swept out into a high current between 2 and 2:30 p.m. local time. Of the incident, Costa Rican National Police previously told The Post that he was pulled to the shore by nearby beachgoers, allowing the Costa Rica Red Cross to attempt resuscitation. Per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), rip currents are especially common at low tide, so be sure to keep an eye on the water, and practice advanced caution by checking beach conditions and wave forecast before arriving. 4 Prevention is as important as protection when it comes to rip currents, Krause says. Getty Images Last year, NYC saw a record seven drownings, and six of them occurred while a lifeguard was not on duty. Per city data, only 34% of NYC residents live within a 15-minute transit ride to a NYC swimming facility, whether it be beach or pool, meaning a majority of New Yorkers make a trek to swim — and many go without swimming lessons or regular experience in water at all, leaving them at a higher risk. In the wake of increased drownings, more shark sightings, and rising temperatures, inexperienced New York swimmers looking to beat the heat this summer are advised to stick close to the shore, build up their confidence and skills with swimming lessons or opt for pools, officials and experts warn.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Former baseball player dies saving family from drowning in South Carolina
A family in Dallas, Georgia, is grieving after their patriarch – a former pro baseball player turned police officer – died saving five others from drowning while they all recently vacationed, as authorities and an online page in his honor tell it. Chase Childers, 38, 'displayed extraordinary courage and selflessness … ultimately paying the highest sacrifice with his life' in front of his wife Nataley and their three children, said a GoFundMe page launched to support his family. 'His bravery, kindness and love will always be remembered.' Childers – a former member of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles – had gone with Nataley and their children from their home in Georgia to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on vacation, as the news station WCBD from nearby Charleston reported. He noticed another family of about five in distress while swimming amid a rip current near the island on 13 July, and he leapt into action by heading into the water with another person to help get them out, Pawleys Island police said in a statement. The family and the man accompanying Childers made it back to the shore. But Childers did not emerge, prompting police, firefighters and the US coast guard to search for him. Crews then found Childers dead and recovered his body about 90 minutes later, Pawleys Island police said. A statement on the GoFundMe page for Childers' family said he gave 'everything he had to save' the family caught up in the rip current, which is a fast-moving column of water flowing away from the shore. Officials urge swimmers caught in rip currents to swim calmly in parallel to the shore. 'Tragically,' the GoFundMe page said of Childers, 'he was unable to stay above water.' Childers had grown up north-east of Atlanta, winning a state baseball championship in 2003, according to the city's Journal-Constitution newspaper. He later played for Georgia State University's baseball team, signed with the Orioles after turning pro and logged two seasons in the minor leagues with clubs in Florida and West Virginia. After his playing career ended, Childers served as a police officer in Cobb county, Georgia, for three years beginning in 2011, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Cobb county's police force awarded Childers a life saving award in 2012. And the GoFundMe page started for Childers' family after his death noted that he had been honored 'for saving several lives'. Pawleys Island police chief Michael Fanning told WCBD that he believed Childers' 'first responder instincts' simply 'kicked in' on the day he died trying to save a family in trouble. The GoFundMe page for Childers' family had raised more than $160,000 as of Friday. It called him 'a loving son, a dedicated brother, a treasured friend, an exceptional father to his three wonderful children, and the husband of his beautiful wife, … who had been his soulmate and best friend since they were teenagers'. 'Words are hard to find at this moment as … his wife and three children attempt to navigate life without Chase,' the page added. The Associated Press contributed reporting
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former pro baseball player drowns in rip current while trying to save others
A former minor league baseball player and father drowned after getting caught in a rip current while trying to save a family in the water in South Carolina, according to police and a fundraiser for his family. Chase Childers, 38, went into the water off Pawleys Island, a barrier island in South Carolina, with another person the afternoon of July 13 to help four or five people who were in distress in the water, according to the Pawleys Island Police Department. Police responded to a report at about 4:45 p.m. and learned one person was missing in the water. Childers was recovered at about 6:15 p.m., police said. "He died trying to save others," the police department said. Childers was signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 and played at the rookie level for teams affiliated with the Orioles in 2009 and 2010, according to the MLB. He also served as a police officer in Cobb County, Georgia, according to a fundraiser for his family verified by GoFundMe. "In a heroic act, he saved a family of five in a moment of crisis in Pawleys Island on Sunday afternoon, putting their lives above his own," the fundraiser said. "Tragically, after giving everything he had to save them, he was unable to stay above water as the rip tide swept him away, ultimately paying the highest sacrifice with his life in front of his three children and wife." Childers was survived by his wife Nataley and three children, according to the fundraiser. More: Graphics show how rip currents endanger swimmers Rip currents, fast-moving channels of water that flow away from the shore, can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean and exhaust them trying to fight their way out. At least three dozen other people have died so far in 2025 in surf zone-related incidents, with the majority caught by rip currents, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2010, more than 800 people have died in rip current drownings. Thousands of people are estimated to be rescued from rip currents annually. Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry said in a social media post that the town urges caution to swimmers entering the water and that the town council will investigate ways to prevent future tragedies. "The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend. We pray for the family members and offer our condolences," Henry said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chase Childers, former baseball player, drowns trying to save swimmers Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 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
