Hurricane Gert is generating potentially life-threatening surf conditions in coastal communities in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands.

A man drowned off a Nantucket beach amid rough seas on the southern Massachusetts coast, after a high surf advisory was issued by the National Weather Service Wednesday because of Hurricane Gert hundreds of miles off shore.

The man was found off Nobadeer Beach on Nantucket shortly after 12 p.m., when around a dozen swimmers there became caught in a rip current, Nantucket police Chief William Pittman said.

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There were probably close to a dozen people at the beach outside of the lifeguard zone, Pittman said. They appeared to be in distress.

Pittman said around six to eight lifeguards on duty entered the choppy waters to assist the group of distressed swimmers when one of the lifeguards saw something or somebody in the water 300 yards away.

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The lifeguard swam out and found that an individual was face down in the water, floating, Pittman said.

Temperatures will be in the 80s, humidity will be largely absent, and cooling breezes will define Wednesdays sunny weather.

The lifeguard brought the man back to shore and attempted to perform CPR. The man was then transported to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where he died, Pittman said. The identity of the man was not released.

None of the other swimmers off the southern Nantucket beach required medical attention, and all made it to shore safely with lifeguards help despite the very strong rip current that was pulling them out and 12-foot waves, Pittman said.

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The incident came on a day when southern-facing Massachusetts beaches were under a high surf advisory because of fallout from Hurricane Gert, located more than 400 miles southeast of Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said.

The tropical weather system has been generating potentially life-threatening surf conditions in coastal communities in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands, the service said Wednesday.

Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport was closed to swimmers around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, and Gooseberry Island was closed for the day, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

On Nantucket, multiple beaches on the south side of the island had reported double red flag conditions, leading to beach closures, according to town officials. Dionis, Miacomet, Sconset, and Surfside beaches were reported closed by 10:24 a.m. Nobadeer Beach was reported at double red flag status by 11 a.m., Cisco Beach at 11:16 a.m., and Madaket Beach by 12:20 p.m.

We urge beach goers to refrain from entering the water along the southshore today, the Nantucket Harbormaster tweeted at the time of the Madaket Beach closure.

The hurricane is expected to remain in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, moving in a northeasterly direction at some 21 miles an hour with sustained winds of 90 miles an hour, forecasters wrote.

But as it travels, Hurricane Gert is creating powerful wave systems that will steadily hammer south-facing beaches in Massachusetts and the region as a whole, forecasters wrote.

Waves & swell are increasing across the southern waters early this morning as Hurricane Gert passes south and east of the region, forecasters wrote on social media. The waves & swells will result in high surf & strong rip current along the south coast.

A high surf advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday for southeastern Massachusetts and Cape coastal communities.

High surf and dangerous rip currents will result in the potential for life-threatening conditions for all people entering the surf, forecasters wrote. Use caution if heading to the beach and when in doubt, dont go out.

The weather service has posted tips on how swimmers and beachgoers can handle the rip tide.

Do not attempt to swim directly into a rip tide because it can exhaust and drown even the strongest swimmer.

Heed the advice from lifeguards.

Stay away from rocky shores or jetties that are routinely hammered by turbulent waves.

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Man drowns off Nantucket as high surf advisory is issued for southern beaches - The Boston Globe