BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County Ocean Rescue says a woman was trying to save a child from a rip current along Cocoa Beach Tuesday afternoon when she was caught in the current herself.
She and a man who went in after her died. The child survived. The incident happened along a stretch of beach near South Atlantic Avenue and 5th Street, where there is no lifeguard coverage.
Witnesses say multiple people were pulled into the water before adults rushed in to help, creating a dangerous situation.
Ocean Rescue Chief Eisen Witcher says recent high surf of six to eight feet has damaged sandbars, increasing the likelihood of a sudden opening that causes an outflow of water known as a “flash rip current.” The fast-moving channel of water can quickly pull swimmers offshore.
Officials are urging beachgoers to stay near lifeguard stations and to be aware that dangerous rip currents may still be present, even as overall beach conditions improve.
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