Search ongoing for U.S. Marine from Mass. swept away by ‘life-threatening’ currents in Puerto Rico

Officials are searching for a U.S. Marine from Massachusetts who went missing in Puerto Rico in strong and “life-threatening” rip currents, the Coast Guard said. 

Samuel Wanjiru, 26, was visiting the island of Luquillo with his family when a Coast Guard watchstander reported him in distress in the water Wednesday afternoon. Winjiru was in the beach area of La Pared, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials were alerted of a person in distress in the water in Montones Beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. He was recovered unresponsive and later pronounced deceased, officials said. 

“This month has been deadly when it comes to beach drownings in the area of Puerto Rico,” said Captain Jose E. Diaz, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan. “There are several hundred miles of open ocean beaches which are extremely dangerous in the present conditions, and most do not have lifeguards.”

Officials with the San Juan coast guard have been warning of high surf, life-threatening rip currents in eastern, northern, and western beaches in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the past several days. 

“We reiterate the call to citizens to NOT go to beaches this week because they are dangerous due to high tide,” the Puerto Rican State Agency for Emergency and Disaster said in a Facebook post. 

The search for Manjiru continued Thursday with divers, boats, jet skis, helicopters, and drones, officials said. Puerto Rican police, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau, and multiple offices of emergency management in the area are participating in the search. 

“People need to realize that the situation is serious enough to limit our ability to respond to search and rescue cases with surface vessels without further endangering our crews and assets,” Diaz said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones to the sea, we hope they find strength during this most difficult time.”