Florida
Rip Currents Kill At Least Six Florida Visitors | Weather.com
- At least six people have died in rip currents over two days.
- All six victims were visitors to Florida.
- The parents of six children were among the victims.
“It’s just too dangerous to swim right now.” That was the warning Sunday from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida after announcing double red flag warnings and closing the water to swimmers.
Over the span of two days, at least six people were killed in rip currents along Florida beaches.
Three Alabama men who went for an evening swim shortly after arriving at a Florida Panhandle beach were caught in a rip current and died, authorities say.
The young men had traveled to the Panama City Beach area Friday evening with a group of friends and had just checked into their rental and gone for a swim when they went into distress, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in an updated Facebook post Saturday evening.
“The three men were caught in a rip current shortly after entering the water,” the post said.
The sheriff’s office had received the initial emergency call about the distressed swimmers shortly after 8 p.m., officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard and others began rescue efforts. The men were found separately and eventually pronounced dead at area hospitals, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office identified the three as Birmingham, Alabama, residents Harold Denzel Hunter, 25, Jemonda Ray, 24, and Marius Richardson, 24. Earlier this week, single red flags had been posted at the beach, indicating high-hazard surf and rip current conditions.
A Pennsylvania couple died in a rip current on a Florida beach Thursday while on vacation with their six children.
The incident happened about an hour north of West Palm Beach at Hutchinson Island, a barrier island in Martin County on the Atlantic coast.
Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, were visiting with their six kids, most of whom are teenagers, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
They were swimming outside of an area farther up the beach that’s protected by lifeguards and where red flags warned of the danger.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that two children were able to break free of the current and tried to help their parents but were forced to swim ashore when conditions became too dangerous.
Also on Thursday, a 19-year-old visiting Panama City Beach from Oklahoma drowned after getting separated from a friend, WJHG.com reported. Fire Chief Ray Morgan said the young man was swimming under single red flag conditions.
Panama City Rescue lifeguards pulled him out of the surf and started CPR but they were unable to save him.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Trump threatens tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba
Trump warned Cuba to reach an agreement with the U.S. after signing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil.
HAVANA (Reuters) – Four people were killed and seven others were wounded on Feb. 25 after a speedboat from Florida entered Cuban waters and opened fire on Cuban forces, who returned fire, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said.
All four dead were aboard the Florida-based speedboat, and another six were injured, Cuba said. In addition, the Cuban commander of border patrol boat was wounded, Cuba said.
The wounded foreign attackers were evacuated and received medical attention, Cuba said.
The incident took place amid heightened tension between Cuba and the United States, which has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Havana.
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