Search underway for American tourist who got caught in rip current off Puerto Rico beach

The 22-year-old woman was last seen Sunday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

September 9, 2024, 2:23 PM

A search is underway for an American tourist who went missing in strong rip currents while swimming off a Puerto Rico beach, the United States Coast Guard said.

The woman was swimming with two friends off Condado Beach in San Juan when all three tourists got caught in rip currents on Sunday, the Coast Guard said.

The two friends, who are also U.S. citizens, were rescued and helped ashore by bystanders and responding authorities. However, the woman -- identified as a 22-year-old from Indianapolis -- remains missing, the Coast Guard said.

The woman was last seen in distress in the water near Condado Beach Sunday night, the Coast Guard said.

A beach in the Condado neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 6, 2021.
Xavier Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The search effort continued on Monday for the woman, with the Coast Guard working alongside local emergency authorities. Multiple aircraft and a Coast Guard boat are involved in the search.

The woman, whose name has not been released, reportedly was wearing a white shirt, pants and swimwear when she went missing, the Coast Guard said.

There was a moderate rip current risk for northern Puerto Rico on Sunday, with life-threatening conditions possible in the surf zone, according to the National Weather Service in San Juan.

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