Rip Current, Guam
- When
- March 3, 12:00 AM GST to March 4, 12:00 AM GST
- Where
- Guam forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Newspaper
On the 3rd of March at around 11:45 a.m. just off the east coast of Guam at Tongan Beach Resort in Ipan Talofofo, Guam, a resort lifeguard noticed that five tourists were going outside a designated swimming area. The Japanese tourists were at the resort celebrating their last day on Guam, and as the tourists wandered outside the designated swimming area the lifeguard was able to convince all but two of the swimmers to turn back. | Two men (a 23 year old male victim and his old boss in his 50’s), continued toward the channel in the reef and became distressed. The lifeguard rescued the 50 year old male, took him to a rock and told him to hold on. The lifeguard then made five attempts to rescue the second swimmer. The second swimmer was caught under some rocks outside the reef in the channel where the current was strong, and the lifeguard could not free him. | Guam Fire Rescue arrived at about 12:15 p.m. and freed the victim. While transporting him to the U.S. Naval Hospital they conducted CPR on the person, but he was pronounced dead later on. The drowning was apparently the result of a moderate to strong rip current in the area that they swam in.| Observations from Ipan Buoy not too far from this location indicated that the|swell was not too big, only 2 feet at 10 to 12 seconds. The sea height 5 to 6 feet, which is average. The long period of 10 to 12 seconds probably created a strong rip|current at the time the swimmers were in the area.