Puerto Rico has the most rip current deaths of any US jurisdiction so far this year, with 18 fatalities recorded, according to preliminary National Weather Service (NWS) data. Fourteen of the dead are men and four are women, aged 21 to 75. The figure exceeds the 11 deaths reported in all of 2025 and the 16 in 2024.
NWS San Juan meteorologist and warning coordinator Ernesto Morales said the north coast is most exposed because of swells, especially between October and April, though the risk exists year-round. He said most victims are locals rather than tourists, that not all beaches have a flag system, and that some incidents occur when people approach rocks to take photos and are hit by waves.
He cited alcohol, overconfidence and poor swimming skills as risk factors, noting nearly 80% of Puerto Ricans cannot swim and that the island is the only US territory where drinking on the beach is legal. If caught in a rip current, Morales advised staying calm, calling for help, floating, and swimming parallel to shore once the flow weakens.
Currents can exceed 5 mph and reach 15 mph near rocks and breakwaters. Deaths occurred at beaches in San Juan, Arecibo, Vega Baja, Luquillo, Vieques, Manatí, Loíza and Barceloneta. Other states: Florida 10, New Jersey 5, South Carolina 4.
Puerto Rico Lifeguard Association president Juan Cana González called for more lifeguards on patrol, saying signs are not enough, and said lifeguards made up to 400 preventive interventions in one week at Condado beach. Tres Hermanos, Punta Guilarte and Pico de Piedra, plus the Rincón and Patillas facilities, have no lifeguards.