Fatalities Mount at Florida Beaches Over the Weekend.

Three more tourists have died in the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City Beach, bringing the total number of fatalities to seven in nine days. The victims all died after grappling with rip currents, and in every instance but one, double red flags were posted, meaning the gulf was closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine. The city lists them as "fatal water incidents" because officials have said it is not known whether the victims drowned or had another medical emergency in the water.