A Florida teenager is recovering after reportedly falling through the pier at Sebastian Inlet State Park and being swept away by waves.
“Next thing I know, I’m just falling through the floor,” Landen Williams said. “It was insane.”
Video above: Hail in Fort Pierce during severe storms in South Florida
Hearst sister station WESH spoke with the 16-year-old on Wednesday with his mother’s permission.
“I guess a wave knocked up the grate and I didn’t see it, and next thing you know, I’m falling,” Williams said. “Probably 15 to 20 feet.”
Williams credits the king tide with keeping him from crashing into the rocks, but said the experience was still scary.
“I kind of just went with the current and I ended up in that little tide pool over there,” Williams said.
Elsewhere, the combination of strong winds and the highest tidal cycle of the year forced the closing of a fishing pier Tuesday.
The conditions also caused notable beach erosion at Ponce de Leon Beach, Melbourne Beach and Satellite Beach.
“The combination of very high tides and strong winds have driven waves up and over the beaches, and in some cases into the dunes,” Brevard County Communications Director Don Walker said in an email. “The county has prepared for events like this by investing in our beaches over the years, placing sand and dune vegetation. The beaches are adjusting to the storm conditions as expected, and doing the intended job of protecting upland property and infrastructure.”
In Satellite Beach, some beach access is blocked off with wood and yellow caution tape. Ocean rescue officials are urging people to stay out of the water.
“Repair options for the South Beaches are being considered, but a final recommendation will wait until after the weather calms in a few days,” Walker said in an email to WESH. “For our three federal (Army Corps) project areas, the North Reach, Mid Reach and South Reach, the response plan will be coordinated through the Army Corps. The Corps is aware of our circumstances and is working to determine the best steps.
“In the most narrow Mid Reach, we were already encouraging the Corps to plan a renourishment as early as December 2027. This ‘best-case’ schedule is, however, dependent on passage of a FY 2027 federal budget.”
As for Williams, he said that if you’re ever caught in a rip current, you should swim with it.
“I just knew I had to stay calm in that current and everything else,” Williams said.
