Body of Maryland man washes ashore Delaware beach where Coast Guard warned of rip currents

The body of a missing swimmer washed ashore Monday morning after his disappearance Sunday evening sparked a massive search along Rehoboth Beach off the Delaware coast.

Richard Boateng, a 31-year-old from Savage, Maryland, had last been seen at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday in the surf off the beach near Rehoboth Avenue, according to a news release from the Rehoboth Beach Police Department. The beach is located in the Atlantic coastal town of the same name, and is an area where President Joe Biden has a home.

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When 911 calls started to come in Sunday, lifeguards who were off duty but still nearby returned to conduct a line search, Rehoboth Beach Fire Company Chief Chuck Snyder said.

The United States Coast Guard, Delaware State Police and Division of Fish and Wildlife all responded to assist with finding Boateng. The search ended at about 6 a.m. Monday when Snyder said Boateng's body was found on North Shores beach, a small community just north of Rehoboth.

Coast Guard had issued warning about rip currents

The Coast Guard had issued a warning Friday advising beachgoers and boaters to be wary of high surf and strong rip currents along the Mid-Atlantic due to Tropical Storm Idalia.

The conditions were expected to make the water dangerous even for the strongest swimmers during Labor Day Weekend, even if the surface weather appeared clear and favorable, the Coast Guard said.

"Think twice before you go in the water this weekend, whether surfing, kiteboarding, or boating," Capt. Jennifer Stockwell, commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia, said in a statement. "If you do, monitor trusted weather sources, know your limits, and plan for emergencies."

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Why are rip currents so dangerous?

Dangerous rip currents and high surf have claimed the lives of 57 swimmers at the nation's beaches in 2023, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service.

A narrow, strong current that flows away from the shoreline toward the ocean, rip currents often flow perpendicular to the shoreline, moving water away from the surf and into the ocean. A person caught in one can rapidly be swept away from shore.

Graphics show how rip currents endanger swimmers

In its Friday news release, the Coast Guard provided a couple of tips for what to do if caught in a rip current:

• The best way to escape a rip current is by swimming parallel to the shore instead of against the current, since most rip currents are less than 80 feet wide.
• Don't panic. Unlike the undertows for which they're often confused, rip currents pull people out, not under. Swimmers who focus on keeping their heads above water and not exhausting themselves fighting against the current will provide themselves with valuable time to escape or be rescued.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.