PALM BEACH, Fla. — A windy afternoon at Midtown Beach in Palm Beach took beach-goers by surprise.
“[There's] really big waves to where we can’t really go swimming,” tourist Ashley Loop said.
Most people opted to stay near the shoreline on Saturday.
“I was expecting to have a good time with me and my friends and I come to the beach and the waves are looking dangerous,” Erinze Murphy said.
Double red flags could be seen flying high at the lifeguard tower, warning swimmers of the rip current risk.
"Normally, I’ll go out to where it’s up to here on my neck, but I said these waves would crash you over and over again before you can even get out there," Jacqueline Martinez said,
However, the rough conditions didn’t stop swimmers like Kenny Sevart from taking the risk.
“Today was pretty dangerous just trying to get out past the break, it just thrashes you around so hard," Sevart said. "Probably one of the worst conditions I’ve tried to surf in since I moved here."
Sevart said lifeguards eventually asked him to come to shore.
WPTV First Alert meteorologists say gradient winds brought on the heavy surf. They recommend that surfers be very careful and swimmers stay out of the water.
“It’s so easy, like when you get hit with the first one, it’s so easy to panic and like that’s what I felt when I first started going out because it just disorients you,” Sevart said.
If you're caught in a rip current officials say you should stay calm and swim parallel to the shoreline instead of against the current.
Rip currents are responsible for multiple fatalities this year in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
“The lifeguard had to tell us to come back out, so I would definitely keep your distance,” Murphy said.
The heavy winds and rough conditions are expected to continue through Monday.
