(Editor’s note: This story was updated with new information.)
A 32-year-old Daytona Beach woman died May 1 after she was found unresponsive north of the Daytona Beach Pier, according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.
“According to the responding lifeguards, the rescue took place in a rip current. The cause of the drowning will need to be determined by the medical examiner,” Beach Safety Deputy Chief A.J. Miller stated.
The risk of rip currents was high in Volusia County as of May 4, according to the National Weather Service.
Lifeguards found the woman unresponsive and floating about 80-100 meters from the shore around 7:38 p.m. They brought her to shore and tried to revive her before emergency medical personnel took her to a local hospital, according to Beach Safety. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
She wasn’t alone in the water.
Lifeguards also brought a man, 31, to shore along with the woman. He was transported to the hospital for exhaustion but has since been released.
Volusia County lifeguards: ‘Swim in front of staffed lifeguard tower’
The death marks the second drowning of 2026 reported by Beach Safety. As of April 30, Beach Safety had rescued 246 people from the water so far this year.
Volusia County lifeguards always urge people to swim in front of a staffed lifeguard tower to help prevent drownings. People can find staffed lifeguard towers using the Volusia Beaches mobile app. People can also ask lifeguards about rip current risks and beach conditions.
One persistent danger on Volusia County’s beaches is rip currents. Most ocean rescues, about 80%, are rip-current related, Miller said in February.
Volusia County lifeguards rescued 2,166 people from the ocean in 2025. Beach Safety reported seven drownings that year.
What should you do in a rip current?
Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue has several tips for dealing with a rip current:
Volusia County recently hosted a rip current simulation class and will announce upcoming dates and times on its social media, such as facebook.com/CountyOfVolusia.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach woman drowns near pier, man treated for exhaustion
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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