Two people died in separate drowning incidents in Florida as severe weather battered parts of the state with heavy rain, damaging winds and dangerous ocean conditions, a report said.
Heavy downpours and stormy conditions were reported Saturday across central Florida and along the Gulf Coast, including Tampa and Largo, NBC News reported.
Authorities warned that rough surf and dangerous rip currents created life-threatening conditions at several beaches.
Teen dies at Cocoa Beach
In one incident, local law enforcement officers responded to Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach after receiving reports that a 12-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy were wrestling in the water, according to the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
NBC News reported that the 12-year-old was brought back to shore safely, but the 17-year-old was later found unresponsive.
The teenager was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
While officials did not directly link the death to weather conditions, Brevard County Beach Rescue spokesman Don Walker said Saturday that “the seas were extremely rough,” according to a source.
Woman caught in rip current dies in Daytona Beach
In a separate incident Friday night, a 32-year-old woman drowned after being caught in a rip current near the Main Street Pier in Daytona Beach, the news outlet reported, citing Volusia County Beach Safety officials.
Rescuers reportedly found the woman unresponsive in the ocean about 100 meters from shore before she was taken to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Officials said the incident occurred north of the Main Street Pier amid dangerous surf conditions.
The death comes as Florida continues to face unsettled weather conditions, including torrential rains, gusty winds and rough coastal waters.
Authorities have urged beachgoers to exercise caution, warning that rip currents and rough surf can quickly become deadly even for experienced swimmers.
