“I​t’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.

T​he 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.

T​hey 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.

A​lso 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.

P​anama City Rescue lifeguards pulled him out of the surf and started CPR but they were unable to save him.

T​he Associated Press contributed to this report.

THE SPACE COAST DAILY – FRIDAY NIGHT LOCKER ROOM TEAM IS BREVARD’S #1 SPORTS SOURCE

BREVARD COUNTY • MIMS, FLORIDA – The Florida District 22 All-Star Tournament for 2024 continued Saturday night with the 8/9/10 Baseball Division at Holder Park in Mims.

Game 1:

The All-stars from District 11’s St. Augustine Little League (visitor) met the All-stars from District 19’s Lake Mary LL. St. Augustine’s first 3 batters, Brady Leth, Josiah Engleman, and Liam Drozd reached base and scored. Lake Mary answered back in the 2nd inning with Mason Williams’ solo homer followed by Colton Hallman and Fenn Morin reaching base and scoring to tie the game at 3.

The skies opened up with rain in the 3rd inning with the score still tied at 3-3. After 2 hours of raking, splashing about, several bags of Speedy Dry, and a lot of help from volunteers, the fields were back to playable and the game continued. St. Augustine’s Drozd scored 2 more runs, while Micah Bush, Evan Gaskins, and Colby Frink hit home runs.

Isaiah Holden hit a Grand Slam in the 4th inning helping St. Augustine to capture the win with a score of 19-3. St. Augustine’s win set up the remaining games for the day.

Game 2:

District 22’s Mims LL (visitor) played District 19’s Lake Mary LL. Mims started the scoring in the first inning when Noah Denoro reached base and Mason Selph brought him in with a 2-run homer.

But Lake Mary answered back in their half of the first with runs from Phoenix Hallman and Carter Picard.

Mims’ M. Selph would homer again on a full count in the 6th, but it wouldn’t be enough as Lake Mary’s P. Hallman, Picard, and Jax Padgett would each score twice in their team’s 10-3 victory.

Game 3:

District 11’s St. Augustine LL (visitor) was then matched against District 22’s Mims LL in the final game of the day. The game was close and went into the 5th tied at 1 after St. Augustine’s Brady Leth scored in the 1st and Mims’ Brayden Madison homered in the 2nd inning.

Mims’ Mason Selph would homer in the 6th to break the tie and become the eventual winning run as Mims defeated St. Augustine 2-1.

With all three teams tied at 1-1, Little League’s Runs Allowed Ratio needed to be used to determine a tournament champion.

With only 5 runs allowed throughout the tournament, St. Augustine LL claimed the title and will represent Section 3 at the Florida Intermediate (50/70) Baseball State Tournament starting on Friday, June 28th, and hosted by Palmetto Little League.

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