Panama City Beach, Florida Sees Fifth Riptide Victim in Less Than a Week
Tragedy has struck Panama City Beach, Florida this Sunday as a fifth swimmer within four days lost their life to the area’s dangerous riptides. Debbie Szymanski, a 60-year-old woman from St. Louis, Missouri, was found unresponsive by family members and later pronounced dead, yet another victim of the deadly currents that continue to plague this popular tourist destination.
The Incidents
This fatal incident follows hot on the heels of other, similar tragedies. Just two days prior, three young men from Alabama also fell prey to the devastating riptides shortly after entering the water for a swim. The three men, Harold Denzel Hunter, Jemonda Ray, and Marius Richardson, all in their mid-20s, were part of a group of friends visiting the beach for a relaxing getaway.
Even further back, only last Thursday, a 19-year-old Ryker Milton from Oklahoma fell victim to yet another rip current. These unfortunate incidents add up to a total of five riptide-related deaths in a remarkably short span of time, triggering alarms about beach safety and the perilous rip currents.
Warning to Beach Goers
The local authorities, including the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, have been active in issuing warnings to beach goers via public posts. Single red flags have been posted all along the Florida shorelines signaling the presence of such dangerously strong water currents.
Just last week, a Pennsylvania couple who had been vacationing with their six children in Florida tragically drowned after being caught in a rip current while swimming. Luckily, two of their teenage children who also got caught were able to escape and swim ashore when the situation became dire.
Understanding Riptides
Rip currents, often wrongly called rip tides, are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water. They are commonly found along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, approximately 100 people succumb to rip currents on U.S. beaches each year.
Riptide Safety
If ever caught in a rip current, it’s crucial to remember that swimming directly back to the shore is counterintuitive. The recommended approach is to swim along the shoreline to escape the current’s pull. Trying to swim against the current will only result in exhausting oneself, making survival even more challenging.
Author: STAFF HERE MYRTLE BEACH
The HERE Myrtle Beach Staff Writers are a collaborative team of journalists, editors, and local contributors passionate about delivering accurate, timely information to the Myrtle Beach community. As part of the HEREcity.com Network, which powers over 100 U.S. city sites including HEREcolumbia.com, our staff draws on collective experience in South Carolina journalism to cover everything from business sales and real estate developments to dining deals and community initiatives. Our Expertise and Background Local Roots in Myrtle Beach Our team includes lifelong Myrtle Beach residents and SC natives with deep knowledge of the area’s history, economy, and culture. We’ve covered key events like the recent developments along the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach’s tourism and hospitality industry, and growth in local education sectors (e.g., Coastal Carolina University programs). Collective Experience With over 50 combined years in journalism, our staff has backgrounds in print, digital media, and community reporting. We prioritize fact-based stories, drawing from sources like the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, city government records, and on-the-ground interviews. Commitment to Quality Every article is a group effort, involving research, editing, and verification to ensure reliability. We adhere to journalistic standards, citing credible sources and updating content as new details emerge.
