Tragedy on Fort Lauderdale Beach: Teen Drowns During Team Trip as Rough Surf Overwhelms Swimmers
FORT LAUDERDALE — A spring bonding trip for a high school basketball team turned into a heartbreaking tragedy Friday afternoon when one of the teens in the group drowned off Fort Lauderdale Beach after being caught in dangerous ocean conditions.
The incident unfolded near the 800 block of Seabreeze Boulevard just before 5 p.m., prompting an urgent search-and-rescue effort that drew multiple emergency response teams, including Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s dive unit and marine patrol.
According to FLPD, officers received a distress call at 4:42 p.m. reporting a missing swimmer in the water. Witnesses described a chaotic and terrifying scene, with panicked teens and lifeguards scrambling to bring the group safely back to shore amid intensifying surf.
The missing swimmer, a teen whose name and exact age have not yet been publicly released, was ultimately recovered by divers shortly after 8 p.m. Authorities confirmed the cause of death as accidental drowning.
A Team Outing Turns Fatal
The teen was part of a high school basketball team from Lake Worth, about 40 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. The group had traveled to the beach as part of a team-bonding outing over spring break. According to one of the parents who spoke to NBC6, multiple teammates entered the ocean together but quickly found themselves overwhelmed by rough waves and strong currents.
Her son, she said, struggled to swim back but was helped ashore by lifeguards.
“He said the water was rough, and they brought him back in,” the mother recounted. “That’s when they noticed one of their teammates was still out there, and they kept trying to tell the lifeguard that.”
Despite the immediate response, including lifeguards entering the water and police deploying boats and divers, the teen could not be saved.
On the sand, the boy’s teammates and friends huddled together, weeping and clinging to each other in stunned grief as they awaited word. The team had been accompanied by several parents, many of whom were on the beach when the tragedy occurred.
“It’s devastating because no one ever wants to get this phone call regarding their child,” the parent added. “The kids are devastated, crying and hugging each other—it’s going to be hard.”
Dangerous Conditions, Familiar Warnings
Local beachgoers described the surf conditions Friday as deceptively treacherous.
“I saw the waves getting harder and harder,” said Ruth Gomez, who was on the beach with her young cousins. “All I saw is them panicking, they’re crying, especially the little ones.”
Another witness, Greg Waldman, emphasized the hazards present even when the sky is clear.
“It’s dangerous out there,” Waldman said. “People underestimate the ocean, especially during strong currents or when there’s a rip tide warning.”
Good Friday, typically a day of reflection for many Christians, was marked instead by sorrow.
“As a Christian, I hoped that today is Good Friday, I didn’t expect this to be a bad Friday,” Gomez said tearfully.
Investigation Ongoing
Fort Lauderdale Police confirmed that a standard death investigation is underway. As of Monday morning, the identity of the deceased had not been officially released, pending notification of extended family.
The department has not confirmed whether rip current warnings were in effect at the time, but Friday’s conditions were notably rough. The National Weather Service had issued advisories earlier in the week for strong currents along the southeastern Florida coast.
A Community in Mourning
In Lake Worth, where the team hails from, grief has rippled through the community. School officials are reportedly preparing to offer counseling resources and support to the basketball team and classmates.
The tragedy is a sobering reminder of how quickly fun in the sun can turn fatal—and how vital it is for both locals and visitors to respect the power of the ocean.
More details are expected to be released in the coming days as the investigation continues.
