This Wildly Popular Florida Destination Is Easily One Of The Deadliest Beaches In America

Florida may have some of the best beach vacation destinations in the U.S., but it turns out all that beauty comes with a price. New Smyrna Beach is located on Florida's eastern coast, about 14 miles south of Daytona Beach. Volusia County as a whole is a very popular destination, drawing as many as 10 million visitors per year. Despite the county's popularity — and New Smyrna Beach's popularity specifically — Tideschart research (via Fox 13 News) shows that New Smyrna is actually the deadliest beach in America.

New Smyrna Beach had the highest number of shark attacks and rip current fatalities. The news outlet noted that as many as 277 shark attacks were reported there between the 1880s and today, and 12 people died in the surf zone, mostly due to rip currents, between 2010 and 2024. In fact, New Smyrna Beach is listed among the most dangerous shark-infested beaches in the world. However, it's not clear if any of those 277 shark attacks were also fatal, as fatal shark attacks in general are very rare. Rip currents tend to be more dangerous, as they can cause drowning by dragging people out to sea, where they can't always swim back to shore.

While rip currents and sharks have been the most common causes for concern at New Smyrna Beach, this beach has other deadly factors to consider. In June 2025, a 29-year-old Colorado man died on the beach after being struck by lightning, according to The Denver Post. Perhaps the most alarming factor in this incident, however, was that there was no storm overhead when the lightning strike occurred — the strike came from a storm miles away.

While spending time in the ocean — no matter where you are — poses risks, you might be wondering if there are any beaches in Florida where you're less likely to encounter sharks or deadly rip currents. According to a July 2024 report from The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Florida counties with the fewest number of shark bites were Charlotte and Santa Rosa, each of which had just one incident in the past 141 years at the time of writing. Charlotte County is located on Florida's western coast south of Sarasota and encompasses Manasota Key, Don Pedro Island, and Boca Grande. Santa Rosa County is in the state's northwestern region near Alabama and includes Oriole Beach, Woodlawn Beach, and Navarre Beach. Though these places have fewer reported shark attacks, it's worth noting that you can't ever avoid sharks completely on a trip to Florida.

Unfortunately, you can't totally avoid rip currents either, since they can occur at any beach that gets waves. However, you can research ahead of time via local reports or social media to see if there are any warnings for that beach. It's also a good idea to make sure there's an active lifeguard on duty wherever you go and that you swim near their station in the event you get caught in a rip current. If you get pulled out to sea, stay calm, and swim parallel to the shore until you can follow the waves back to dry land. Lastly, an easy way to identify dangerous rip currents yourself is look for any areas of the water that noticeably stand out.