A male tourist from the United States identified as Haifeng (60) drowned in Matapalo Beach, located in Savegre Canton, Puntarenas Province.

According to the Red Cross, the case began on Wednesday when they got an emergency call at 6:40 p.m. about a tourist, who was allegedly swimming, and suddenly was swept away by a rip current. 

The body of the victim was found by local lifeguards who had taken him to the beach.

When the Red Cross paramedics arrived, the patient had no signs of life, he was declared clinically dead.

Later, officers of the Judicial Investigation Organization took his body to the Judicial Forensic Medicine Complex, located in Heredia Province.

Authorities will keep all information on the deceased expat private. Only relatives of the victim are authorized to request further details from the police.

According to the U.S. Embassy, in situations resulting in the death of a U.S. citizen the Consular Section can assist depending upon whether a deceased U.S. citizen was accompanied by family and whether he/she was a visitor to Costa Rica or was residing here.

"The Consular Section can provide information on funeral homes that will arrange for local burials or prepare remains for shipment to a designated location in the United States," said the embassy in its statement. "The Consular Section will also issue a Consular Report of Death Abroad, which serves as a death certificate in the United States for probate and other legal purposes."

The Embassy does not provide funds to pay for the funeral, repatriation, or burial expenses of Americans who die abroad.

Also, families of the deceased do not necessarily have to travel to Costa Rica to make decisions and arrangements regarding the disposition of remains. " U.S. Embassy representatives can act on behalf of the family in working with local authorities and service providers in many cases," they added.

Individuals interested in more information about U.S. Embassy support in Costa Rica should contact them by calling 506-2519-2590 or 506-2519-2093. For after-hours or weekend emergencies phone line is available at (506) 2519-2000.

Experts from the U.S. National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), stated that as longshore currents move on and off the beach, “rip currents” may form around low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as jetties and piers.

A rip current, sometimes incorrectly called a rip tide, is a localized current that flows away from the shore toward the ocean, perpendicular or at an acute angle to the shoreline. It usually breaks up not far from shore and is generally not more than 25 meters (80 feet) wide.

These currents typically reach speeds of 1 to 2 feet per second. Some rip currents have been measured at 8 feet per second, faster than any Olympic swimmer ever recorded.

If wave activity is slight, several low rip currents can form, in various sizes and velocities. But in heavier wave action, fewer, more concentrated rip currents can form.

Because rip currents move perpendicular to shore and can be very strong, beach swimmers need to be careful. A person caught in a riptide can quickly be swept away from shore.

The best way to escape a rip current is by swimming parallel to the shore instead of towards it since most rip currents are less than 80 feet wide.

A swimmer can also let the current carry them out to sea until the force weakens. Rip currents stay close to shore and usually dissipate just beyond the line of breaking waves.

A rip current can also push someone hundreds of yards offshore. "The most important thing to remember if you are ever caught in a rip current is not to panic. Continue to breathe, try to keep your head above water, and don’t exhaust yourself fighting against the force of the current," experts said.

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