The man did not survive.
“Our staff offer our deepest sympathies to his family and friends,” National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac said in the statement. “We urge all visitors to be very careful when swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, especially with the approaching storm. Additionally we would like to thank the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad for their swift response.”
AP/Shutterstock
The man’s cause of death is unknown and the medical examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
Park officials said that there was a high risk of rip currents for most of the beaches along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with several rip currents spotted in the area.
The death comes as the U.S. braces for Hurricane Dorian, which is heading to the mainland as a Category 2 storm after pummeling the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane over the weekend.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore roadside sign.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty
Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas for over 36 hours after striking the region on Sunday, packing deadly floodwaters, heavy rain and fierce winds,theWashington Postreported.
Five peoplehave been confirmed dead in the Bahamas, including an 8-year-old boy who likely drowned as his family fled the storm in the Abaco Islands over the weekend. The storm damaged or destroyed several homes and businesses in the Bahamas, Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said at a recent news conference. The storm only began moving out of the Bahamas on Tuesday. By the time Dorian departs completely from the area, parts of the Bahamas will have seen more than 30 inches of rain,according to CNN.
Now, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Virginia have alldeclared states of emergencyas Hurricane Dorian threatens several coasts.
Matthew Aylen wades through waist-deep water after leaving his flooded home in Freeport, Bahamas, on Monday, Sept. 2.Tim Aylen/AP/Shutterstock
TheNational Hurricane Center announcedon Tuesday that Dorian will slowly move north, close to the Florida east coast through Wednesday, and pass near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday before going “near or over” the North Carolina coast on Thursday. North Carolina could see hurricane-force winds and the Florida coast could experience flash flooding.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesdayissued a mandatory state evacuationorder for barrier islands along the entire coast as Dorian approaches.
“Now is the time to make sure your family is prepared.#dorianNCstill a few days away, so make sure emergency kit is stocked; have food for several days; figure out where you would go,”Cooper said.
source: people.com
