Three drown off US coastline as Tropical Storm Ernesto brings deadly swell

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Three people have drowned off the US Atlantic coast following days of Hurricane Ernesto regathering strength in its path towards Canada.

Two men drowned on Friday off Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, while another, was pulled from the water off the coast of Surf City, North Carolina, on Saturday afternoon.

Ralph Jamieson, 65, and Leonard Schenz, 73, are both believed to have been taken under by rip currents, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. At the same time, Sean Davis, 41 years old, was reportedly found unresponsive when two Surf City Fire Department Ocean Rescue swimmers retrieved him from the water.

He was taken back to shore and given CPR and advanced life-support measures but emergency services were unfortunately unable to revive him, according to Port City Daily.

A Facebook from the fire department on Sunday reported that “life-threatening rip currents” were “likely” and urged swimmers to stay out of the water.

Although currently offshore in the Atlantic and forecast to remain there, the hurricane is generating dangerous swells and rip currents affecting the East Coast, with the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) warning that “beachgoers should be aware that there is a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, and should stay out of the water if advised by lifeguards.”

Now generating maximum sustained wind speeds of 85mph, the storm’s regained strength made Ernesto a category 1 hurricane for the second time on Sunday, having previously lowered to a tropical storm just the day before.

It is not likely to make landfall, although NHC forecasts the hurricane’s center to pass near southeastern Newfoundland around Monday evening and warns that large breaking waves raise the possibility of coastal flooding, particularly along southwest-facing shorelines.

In addition to the East coasts of Canada and the US, swells generated by Ernesto are also affecting the Bahamas and Bermuda, with “remnants” of the storm set to batter parts of the UK this week, bringing up to 150mm of rain and wind gusts of up to 60mph, the Met Office has warned. Multiple warnings have been issued.