Man, woman drown at Miami Beach

Couple pulled out by rip currents

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A crowded yet windy day on the beach usually doubles as a busy day for lifeguards.

The scene of repeated rescues played out over and over again on Miami Beach, but for a pair of beachgoers, rip currents proved to be too much.

Rough surf along Miami Beach lead to a double tragedy on Sunday after a man and woman were pulled from the water and rushed to the hospital.

"Two victims had been pulled out of the water because of rip currents," said Capt. Adonis Garcia of Miami Beach Fire Rescue. "They were in cardiac arrest when fire rescue arrived. We worked them all the way to the hospital where they have been pronounced dead."

Witnesses describe the couple as elderly. They were swimming in the water near 64th Street and Collins when they disappeared from the surface.

Crime scene investigators snapped photos from the area the couple was last seen.

The stretch of water where the drowning happened is manned by lifeguards, but it only took a few short seconds for bad situation to turn worse.

"Obviously the conditions have been very rough -- a lot of winds. We recommend that people pay attention to the tides and the rip currents, please stay out of the water."

The water warnings are also up courtesy of color coded flags. Red, of course, to stay out of the water, but many beachgoers ignored that warning, choosing to enjoy the water under the sun instead.