West Virginia man drowns off Daytona Beach, one day after 118 rescues

A West Virginia man drowned Wednesday afternoon while swimming in an area of Daytona Beach where there were no lifeguards, according to Tammy Malphurs, interim director of Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.

The 43-year-old was visiting the area with his family when he was caught in a rip current around 2 p.m. north of the Daytona Beach Bandstand.

A surfer quickly intervened and pulled him to shore with the help of lifeguards, but the man was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Wednesday was a busy day for county lifeguards. As of just before 5 p.m., the team had rescued 118 people from the ocean, according to Malphurs.

In Daytona Beach, the risk of rip currents was high Wednesday, but there is still a risk of getting caught in a rip current.

The county encourages people to swim in front of a lifeguard tower. These areas can be found through the Volusia Beaches app.