17-year-old boy drowns during high surf conditions at New Hampshire beach: Officials

WMUR

(HAMPTON BEACH, NH) — A 17-year-old boy drowned during high surf conditions in New Hampshire after lifeguards had left the beach for the day, according to local officials.

The teenager was swimming with relatives at Hampton Beach on Sunday when, around 6:45 p.m., “he was pulled away from shore by a strong ocean current,” the New Hampshire State Police said.

His dad went into the water to try to save him, but the dad “also became distressed,” police said.

Lifeguards had gone off duty at 5:30 p.m., but when the report came in for the drowning at 6:44 p.m., lifeguards responded, with the first rescuer entering the water at 6:48 p.m., New Hampshire State Beach Patrol Chief Patrick Murphy said.

Lifeguards took the teenager and his dad to shore and tried to save the boy’s life, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.

The teen’s dad was taken to a hospital in stable condition, police said.

Hampton Fire/Rescue Chief Michael McMahon told ABC News that the “strong ocean current” described by police was not a rip current, but was from high surf conditions from Hurricane Erin.

A high surf advisory was in effect in Hampton Beach on Sunday, with the National Weather Service warning of large, breaking waves of 4 to 7 feet.

“We’d been having very high surf conditions all week as remnants from Hurricane Erin,” McMahon said.

Red flag warnings were in effect at the beach this weekend, which “meant shallow wading only,” McMahon said, adding it’s not clear how far from shore the teenager was swimming.

McMahon said beachgoers should make sure to swim when lifeguards are on duty and to always “be cautious in the ocean.”

“It was low tide at that time [of the drowning],” he said. “That’s a relatively calm period, but it doesn’t take a lot for somebody to get in trouble.”

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.

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