Following 12-year-old’s drowning, rip current risks remain high

A 12-year-old boy died swimming off Fort Lauderdale Beach on Friday, and strong rip current risks remained high over the weekend.

Sunday morning, there was a still moment on the sand as sunlight broke through the clouds during a service, but just beyond the peaceful scene there’s a danger in the water.

Saturday report:

Red flags lined lifeguard towers along the beach.

On Friday, the boy, who was visiting from Lake Worth with the Team Jordan Basketball Club, was swimming with a group when the water got “rough” and lifeguards intervened, according to a teammate’s parent. Divers would later locate his body.

On the shore line, members of the group huddled together as coaches and parents desperately hoped for a miracle.

A mother of one of the teammates who did not want to show her face on camera said a group of boys were swimming when they needed help.

A spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said first responders pulled three of the four boys from the water.

“I’m surprised,” beachgoer Joey Benoit said Saturday. “I’m from San Diego and expected it to be calm and it’s, yeah, a lot.”

Lifeguards posted no-swimming signs along the 800 block of Seabreeze Boulevard amid the choppy winds and rough water conditions.

Rough conditions are expected to continue through Monday.