Another tourist drowns at NC Outer Banks, where the rip currents have been deadly

A man from New York died while swimming at the Outer Banks on Monday.

A 911 call went out for two swimmers in distress off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Rodanthe just after 10 a.m., the national seashore said in a news release Monday.

A friend of the 63-year-old Baldwinsville, New York man tried to give him CPR, the national seashore said. Chicamacomico Banks Water Rescue and Dare County Emergency Medical Services also tried to revive the man.

But their efforts were not successful.

The man’s death is the fifth swimming-related death off Cape Hatteras National Seashore this year, according to the release.

“There were seven swimming-related fatalities in 2017 and eight in 2016,” the national seashore said.

The man was not identified as of Monday evening. He was not using a flotation device, the national seashore said.

There has been a high risk of rip currents “the last several days,” the national seashore said. Officials did not say if the man had been caught in a rip current.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines a “high risk” of rip currents as: “wind and/or wave conditions support dangerous rip currents. Rip currents are life-threatening to anyone entering the surf.”

“Cape Hatteras National Seashore extends our condolences to his family and friends during this very difficult time,” David Hallac, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina superintendent, said in the release.

According to Dare County, life guards are present at the national seashore from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year at “Coquina Beach (across from the Bodie Island Lighthouse site), Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach, and the Ocracoke day-use area.”

Dare County also uses the flag system to warn swimmers about ocean conditions at the national seashore.

“Please note, should conditions on the beach change, (life guard) stand locations may be shifted. Please heed words of caution, advisories, and/or the flying of red (no swimming) flags. They are issued for your safety,” according to Dare County. “If red flags are flying, swimming is prohibited. For your safety and the safety of ocean rescue staff. Although flags may be posted on sunny warm days with blue skies, it means the water conditions are not safe to swim in.”

NOAA posts daily rip current forecasts at www.weather.gov/beach/mhx and rip current safety information is available at www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov.

Regular updates on ocean and beach conditions at the national seashore are posted at go.nps.gov/beachaccess.

You can get text alerts for beach and ocean conditions by sending a text message with “Join OBXBeachConditions” to 30890.

This story was originally published October 1, 2018 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Another tourist drowns at NC Outer Banks, where the rip currents have been deadly."