General discussion & info about South Walton, Florida.

All About SoWal

Advertise or find a business, discuss business.

Business & Services

Jobs

Festivals, classes, gatherings, activities.

Events & Music

Food & Dining

Marketplace

property, realtors, builders, development, infrastructure ...

Real Estate

Long Term Rentals

Vacation Rentals

SoWal Lounge

steyou

Beach Fanatic

3 guys in trouble. 2 made it and 1 did not. 1 drowning.

Grayton Girl

[b]What a tragedy![/b]

Oh my!  This is horrible news.  I was at Grayton a couple of hours ago, and I was stunned to see 5 or 6 people in the water, pretty far out, playing in the waves.  They were standing on a sandbar that had been created way offshore by the outflow of Western Lake, but one false move and they would have been carried off the sandbar and into the deep and very rough water.  

I saw all of this from the porch of my dad's house, but now I feel like I should have gone down to the beach and spoken with these people.  If I see this happening again, I will speak my mind.  The vacationers can just laugh at me if they want to, or tell me to mind my own business, but I will at least have a clear conscience.

The Gulf is extremely rough and dangerous right now. The only people who should be in the water are surfers who are attached to their boards with leashes.

What a tragedy! 
 
Oh my! This is horrible news. I was at Grayton a couple of hours ago, and I was stunned to see 5 or 6 people in the water, pretty far out, playing in the waves. They were standing on a sandbar that had been created way offshore by the outflow of Western Lake, but one false move and they would have been carried off the sandbar and into the deep and very rough water. 
 
I saw all of this from the porch of my dad&#039;s house, but now I feel like I should have gone down to the beach and spoken with these people. If I see this happening again, I will speak my mind. The vacationers can just laugh at me if they want to, or tell me to mind my own business, but I will at least have a clear conscience. 
 
The Gulf is extremely rough and dangerous right now. The only people who should be in the water are surfers who are attached to their boards with leashes.

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert

Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk!

Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk!

Pirate

[quote="scooterbug44, post: 551258"]Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk![/quote]


I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don't go in the water and it is still single red. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="scooterbug44">Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk!</blockquote> 
 
I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don&#039;t go in the water and it is still single red. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.

SHELLY

SoWal Insider

With such a beautiful day (finally), I tried to spend a relaxing day on the beach, but couldn't relax because stupid parents were letting their little kids play in the surf and I felt it was my duty to do the watching for them.  You can't relax while you're in the "life saving" mode.  Had to pack up and leave.

So sad to hear that someone died today.

.

With such a beautiful day (finally), I tried to spend a relaxing day on the beach, but couldn&#039;t relax because stupid parents were letting their little kids play in the surf and I felt it was my duty to do the watching for them. You can&#039;t relax while you&#039;re in the &quot;life saving&quot; mode. Had to pack up and leave. 
 
So sad to hear that someone died today. 
 
.

Lake Eastern

Beach Lover

[quote="scooterbug44, post: 551258"]Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk![/quote]

Amen!  As a teenager I worked in Myrtle Beach, SC and I was shocked at the numbers of drownings and recues we did.  Having grown up on Walton's Gulf of Mexico beaches where it seemed rare to have a drowning.  It actually seemed more happened to the fishermen and boaters in the Bay. I just assumed it was b/c it was the Atlantic Ocean.  I guess it is just the masses of people who now come here to vacation.  Such a tragedy!

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="scooterbug44">Very sad way to start or end a vactation! 
 
I wish people would obey the damn flags instead of putting their lives and their rescuers lives at risk!</blockquote> 
Amen! As a teenager I worked in Myrtle Beach, SC and I was shocked at the numbers of drownings and recues we did. Having grown up on Walton&#039;s Gulf of Mexico beaches where it seemed rare to have a drowning. It actually seemed more happened to the fishermen and boaters in the Bay. I just assumed it was b/c it was the Atlantic Ocean. I guess it is just the masses of people who now come here to vacation. Such a tragedy!

Matt J

SWGB

[quote="Pirate, post: 551266"]I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don't go in the water and it is still [B]single red[/B]. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.[/quote]

Single Red means the following:

[B]RED:[/B] HIGH HAZARD - High Surf and/or Strong Currents 

That is from [url=http://www.swfd.org]SWFD - HOME[/url].  Personally it reads to me that the water is closed to those that do not have an incredibly good swimming ability or those with flotation devices i.e. surf boards.

Yes, it's sad that someone was so intent on going in that they basically made the decision to end their life for a dip in the gulf.  Not the brightest move IMO and a real great example for kids, "Hey we paid to come on vacation and mother nature didn't cooperate.  Oh well we paid we'll go".  :bang:

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Pirate">I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don&#039;t go in the water and it is still single red. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.</blockquote> 
Single Red means the following: 
 
RED: HIGH HAZARD - High Surf and/or Strong Currents 
 
That is from <a href="http://www.swfd.org" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">SWFD - HOME</a>. Personally it reads to me that the water is closed to those that do not have an incredibly good swimming ability or those with flotation devices i.e. surf boards. 
 
Yes, it&#039;s sad that someone was so intent on going in that they basically made the decision to end their life for a dip in the gulf. Not the brightest move IMO and a real great example for kids, &quot;Hey we paid to come on vacation and mother nature didn&#039;t cooperate. Oh well we paid we&#039;ll go&quot;. :bang:

[quote="Pirate, post: 551266"]I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don't go in the water and it is still single red. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.[/quote]
Single red doesn't mean it's safe to swim - it means "stop, don't go in the water." That's why it's the same color as a "stop" sign, traffic "stoplight"etc.
 
Lifeguards on the beach are a recent occurrence, and it sounds like they are doing a great job. Hopefully the program will continue to expand. Often sending others into the water who are not suited for it just increases the tragedy potential, so I can understand why Fire or Sheriff's Dept. would not go in. 
 
I constantly say "obey the flags" because I'm a former lifeguard who had water safety beaten into me by responsible parents. I am a much stronger swimmer than the majority of the tourists and I would not go into the water on a red flag day. We have many pools and coastal lakes for people who just must go into some water on red flag days.
 
Noone ever wants anybody to drown or be in harm's way - it's a horrible thing, that's why it is very frustrating to constantly see people ignoring the warnings and dangers.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Pirate">I was actually there and I have to be honest, the rescue was one swimmer, a lifeguard, who made a herculean effort at rescuing these folks and was by himself in the water. I am not sure of the circumstances that the 3 arrived where they did but it looked like 2 of them had boogie boards. I was stunned to see no one from the FD or Sherriffs office with a paddle board or any type of water rescue equipment deployed. It was at least 30 minutes for a PWC to arrive and it came after the rescue was over. I am so sorry for the family and my thoughts are with them. Double red flag actually means don&#039;t go in the water and it is still single red. Pretty easy to say obey the flags, hard to see a man die under any circumstances.</blockquote>Single red doesn&#039;t mean it&#039;s safe to swim - it means &quot;stop, don&#039;t go in the water.&quot; That&#039;s why it&#039;s the same color as a &quot;stop&quot; sign, traffic &quot;stoplight&quot;etc. 
 
Lifeguards on the beach are a recent occurrence, and it sounds like they are doing a great job. Hopefully the program will continue to expand. Often sending others into the water who are not suited for it just increases the tragedy potential, so I can understand why Fire or Sheriff&#039;s Dept. would not go in. 
 
I constantly say &quot;obey the flags&quot; because I&#039;m a former lifeguard who had water safety beaten into me by responsible parents. I am a much stronger swimmer than the majority of the tourists and I would not go into the water on a red flag day. We have many pools and coastal lakes for people who just must go into some water on red flag days. 
 
Noone ever wants anybody to drown or be in harm&#039;s way - it&#039;s a horrible thing, that&#039;s why it is very frustrating to constantly see people ignoring the warnings and dangers.

Kurt

Admin

[url=http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html]Four pulled from SoWal rip currents | rip, swimmers, south - News - Northwest Florida Daily News[/url]

[quote] [B]Four pulled from SoWal rip currents[/B]

                   	[URL="http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html#slComments"]Comments 4[/URL]  |   	[URL="javascript:recommendReview('Articlenwfdn16435')"]Recommend [/URL] 	0  				  					 				
  				 April 3, 2009 - 6:44 PM
  				                                  	[EMAIL="andrewg@nwfdailynews.com"]Andrew Gant[/EMAIL]                                 
  				 Daily News
  				 								   				Lifeguards pulled four swimmers from rip currents Friday as red flags flew over South Walton beaches.

There were two separate rescues, the first just after 11:20 a.m. at 4190 CR-30A. That swimmer was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.

By about 1:20 p.m., three more people were trapped in a rip current about 50 yards off shore at Seagrove Beach.

A South Walton Fire lifeguard from a tower about two miles away drove an ATV, then ran the last half-mile to get past the washed-out Eastern Lake and into the gulf. He used two rescue buoys and fought his way back to shore with all three swimmers.

Two of them were transported to a hospital, one in cardiac arrest.

Rescuers urged swimmers to heed red-flag warnings.

 [/quote]

<a href="http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="noopener">Four pulled from SoWal rip currents | rip, swimmers, south - News - Northwest Florida Daily News</a> 
 
<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="">Four pulled from SoWal rip currents 
 
 	<a href="http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html#slComments" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">Comments 4</a> | 	Recommend 	0 				 					 				 
 				 April 3, 2009 - 6:44 PM 
 				 	<a href="mailto:andrewg@nwfdailynews.com">Andrew Gant</a> 
 				 Daily News 
 				 								 				Lifeguards pulled four swimmers from rip currents Friday as red flags flew over South Walton beaches. 
 
There were two separate rescues, the first just after 11:20 a.m. at 4190 CR-30A. That swimmer was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. 
 
By about 1:20 p.m., three more people were trapped in a rip current about 50 yards off shore at Seagrove Beach. 
 
A South Walton Fire lifeguard from a tower about two miles away drove an ATV, then ran the last half-mile to get past the washed-out Eastern Lake and into the gulf. He used two rescue buoys and fought his way back to shore with all three swimmers. 
 
Two of them were transported to a hospital, one in cardiac arrest. 
 
Rescuers urged swimmers to heed red-flag warnings.</blockquote>

Bobby J

We have a busy tourist week ahead and the seas are supposed to stay big for another solid week!  The lifeguards are going to have their hands full.

Lynnie

[quote="kurt, post: 551347"][URL="http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html"]Four pulled from SoWal rip currents | rip, swimmers, south - News - Northwest Florida Daily News[/URL][/quote]
 
 
Oh, this is awful news!  I hope there is no more of this~~~:(

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="kurt"><a href="http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rip_16435___article.html/swimmers_south.html" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">Four pulled from SoWal rip currents | rip, swimmers, south - News - Northwest Florida Daily News</a></blockquote> 
 
Oh, this is awful news! I hope there is no more of this~~~:(

John R

needs to get out more

More chuckleheads who think the flag system doesn't apply to them.  The system is in place for a reason.  How much more plain can it be made?  It seems like those who don't live here [I]know[/I] more about how tides and currents work than those who do.  If you go out, or allow your family to go out in the water when conditions are beyond your or their capabilities, you have only yourself to blame if disaster strikes.

[url]http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html[/url]

More chuckleheads who think the flag system doesn&#039;t apply to them. The system is in place for a reason. How much more plain can it be made? It seems like those who don&#039;t live here know more about how tides and currents work than those who do. If you go out, or allow your family to go out in the water when conditions are beyond your or their capabilities, you have only yourself to blame if disaster strikes. 
 
<a href="http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html</a>

Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn't safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn't too difficult to understand. :biggrin:

Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn&#039;t safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn&#039;t too difficult to understand. 😀

[quote="scooterbug44, post: 551950"]Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn't safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn't too difficult to understand. :biggrin:[/quote]

[quote="John R, post: 551547"]More chuckleheads who think the flag system doesn't apply to them.  The system is in place for a reason.  How much more plain can it be made?  It seems like those who don't live here [I]know[/I] more about how tides and currents work than those who do.  If you go out, or allow your family to go out in the water when conditions are beyond your or their capabilities, you have only yourself to blame if disaster strikes.

[url]http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html[/url][/quote]

Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great points. This man is dead, are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. It isn't the responders fault, it's just a bad policy that needs to be corrected in a beach town. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can't even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag almost as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won't make fun of you, I promise.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="scooterbug44">Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn&#039;t safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn&#039;t too difficult to understand. 😀</blockquote> 
<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="John R">More chuckleheads who think the flag system doesn&#039;t apply to them. The system is in place for a reason. How much more plain can it be made? It seems like those who don&#039;t live here know more about how tides and currents work than those who do. If you go out, or allow your family to go out in the water when conditions are beyond your or their capabilities, you have only yourself to blame if disaster strikes. 
 
<a href="http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html</a></blockquote> 
Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great points. This man is dead, are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. It isn&#039;t the responders fault, it&#039;s just a bad policy that needs to be corrected in a beach town. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can&#039;t even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag almost as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won&#039;t make fun of you, I promise.

30A Skunkape

Skunky

[quote="Pirate, post: 552007"]Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great response. This man is dead people are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can't even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag surf just as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won't make fun of you, I promise.[/quote]

I appreciate your point and doubt that Scooterbug is pleased in some way that one swimmer died.  
I am not sure what the county can do to ensure more successful rescues.  It seems to me the best strategy is to prevent people from getting into the water on red flag days, and I think most would agree the county does a fine job with the flags and beach safety campaign.  
If I am not mistaken, Bay County has more lifeguards on beaches than does Walton, and my perception is that more people drown in Bay than Walton (I could be wrong with that stat, it is just my perception based on what I hear on the news).  I don't know what else Walton can do to protect people who put themselves in harms way.
By the way, kudos to the rescue swimmer who hoofed-it down the beach and managed to pull three people out of that water.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Pirate">Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great response. This man is dead people are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can&#039;t even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag surf just as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won&#039;t make fun of you, I promise.</blockquote> 
I appreciate your point and doubt that Scooterbug is pleased in some way that one swimmer died. 
I am not sure what the county can do to ensure more successful rescues. It seems to me the best strategy is to prevent people from getting into the water on red flag days, and I think most would agree the county does a fine job with the flags and beach safety campaign. 
If I am not mistaken, Bay County has more lifeguards on beaches than does Walton, and my perception is that more people drown in Bay than Walton (I could be wrong with that stat, it is just my perception based on what I hear on the news). I don&#039;t know what else Walton can do to protect people who put themselves in harms way. 
By the way, kudos to the rescue swimmer who hoofed-it down the beach and managed to pull three people out of that water.

Mermaid

picky

[quote="Pirate, post: 552007"]Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great response. This man is dead people are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can't even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag surf just as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won't make fun of you, I promise.[/quote]
 
Pirate, with all due respect, you misunderstand.  No one can be happy that a person died on the beach.  What you're reading is anger and frustration that someone died [I]needlessly.  [/I]It's particularly horrible because it keeps on happening and it never has to have happened at all.  If people would only stay away from the water when the flag is red!  No vacation is worth the loss of human life.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Pirate">Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great response. This man is dead people are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can&#039;t even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag surf just as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won&#039;t make fun of you, I promise.</blockquote> 
Pirate, with all due respect, you misunderstand. No one can be happy that a person died on the beach. What you&#039;re reading is anger and frustration that someone died needlessly. It&#039;s particularly horrible because it keeps on happening and it never has to have happened at all. If people would only stay away from the water when the flag is red! No vacation is worth the loss of human life.

[quote="Mermaid, post: 552024"]Pirate, with all due respect, you misunderstand.  No one can be happy that a person died on the beach.  What you're reading is anger and frustration that someone died [I]needlessly.  [/I]It's particularly horrible because it keeps on happening and it never has to have happened at all.  If people would only stay away from the water when the flag is red!  No vacation is worth the loss of human life.[/quote]
I do see the point about the flag system. I personally am a very accomplished swimmer and do not go in when there is a red flag unless I am surfing. It is however a choice as the single red flag does not close the water. I think everyone is somehow missing the point that in a beach town with thousands of ocean swimmers there should be a better rescue system in place for this type of problem. The initial response was so rapid, but they could not do anything to help. It was at least another 20-30 minutes before someone equipped to help these people came and that is just too long. Train some fire responders and put paddleboards or even a small pwc on the fire equipment. If that saved one life it would be worth it. It would have saved this swimmer I would bet.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Mermaid">Pirate, with all due respect, you misunderstand. No one can be happy that a person died on the beach. What you&#039;re reading is anger and frustration that someone died needlessly. It&#039;s particularly horrible because it keeps on happening and it never has to have happened at all. If people would only stay away from the water when the flag is red! No vacation is worth the loss of human life.</blockquote>I do see the point about the flag system. I personally am a very accomplished swimmer and do not go in when there is a red flag unless I am surfing. It is however a choice as the single red flag does not close the water. I think everyone is somehow missing the point that in a beach town with thousands of ocean swimmers there should be a better rescue system in place for this type of problem. The initial response was so rapid, but they could not do anything to help. It was at least another 20-30 minutes before someone equipped to help these people came and that is just too long. Train some fire responders and put paddleboards or even a small pwc on the fire equipment. If that saved one life it would be worth it. It would have saved this swimmer I would bet.

They are constantly trying to improve the system and responses. 
A couple years ago there wouldn't even have been a lifeguard to rescue these people.

They are constantly trying to improve the system and responses. 
A couple years ago there wouldn&#039;t even have been a lifeguard to rescue these people.

Arkiehawg

[quote="Pirate, post: 552045"]I do see the point about the flag system. I personally am a very accomplished swimmer and do not go in when there is a red flag unless I am surfing. It is however a choice as the single red flag does not close the water. I think everyone is somehow missing the point that in a beach town with thousands of ocean swimmers there should be a better rescue system in place for this type of problem. The initial response was so rapid, but they could not do anything to help. It was at least another 20-30 minutes before someone equipped to help these people came and that is just too long. Train some fire responders and put paddleboards or even a small pwc on the fire equipment. If that saved one life it would be worth it. It would have saved this swimmer I would bet.[/quote]
 
 
Pirate
 
With do respect, the blame shouldn't be on the system, but those who constantly like to challenge the system.  The flags were Red and the gentlemen still went out into the water and unfortunately, paid with one of their lives.
 
The lifesaving system in SoWal is a very good system and far superior to what we had just a few years ago.  Is it perfect?  No, but still better than you will see in the counties east of here.  The director of the program is one of the best in the world and since he has been put in charge of the coordination/training, the death rates have dropped DRAMATICALLY!
 
Case in point.  This last week's action by the lifeguard was truly an athletic feat.  Running the last 1/2 mile because the path was blocked, then swimming 50 yards and bringing back three adult men by himself!  Wow.  I can assure you that just a few years ago, that attempt would have been by an overweight deputy in long pants and probably would have resulted in a more tragic result.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Pirate">I do see the point about the flag system. I personally am a very accomplished swimmer and do not go in when there is a red flag unless I am surfing. It is however a choice as the single red flag does not close the water. I think everyone is somehow missing the point that in a beach town with thousands of ocean swimmers there should be a better rescue system in place for this type of problem. The initial response was so rapid, but they could not do anything to help. It was at least another 20-30 minutes before someone equipped to help these people came and that is just too long. Train some fire responders and put paddleboards or even a small pwc on the fire equipment. If that saved one life it would be worth it. It would have saved this swimmer I would bet.</blockquote> 
 
Pirate 
 
With do respect, the blame shouldn&#039;t be on the system, but those who constantly like to challenge the system. The flags were Red and the gentlemen still went out into the water and unfortunately, paid with one of their lives. 
 
The lifesaving system in SoWal is a very good system and far superior to what we had just a few years ago. Is it perfect? No, but still better than you will see in the counties east of here. The director of the program is one of the best in the world and since he has been put in charge of the coordination/training, the death rates have dropped DRAMATICALLY! 
 
Case in point. This last week&#039;s action by the lifeguard was truly an athletic feat. Running the last 1/2 mile because the path was blocked, then swimming 50 yards and bringing back three adult men by himself! Wow. I can assure you that just a few years ago, that attempt would have been by an overweight deputy in long pants and probably would have resulted in a more tragic result.

There are currently Fire, EMS, and WCSO at the Dunes of Seagrove.  It appears that a lifeguard is in the water attempting to reach someone.

Red Flags mean do not go in the WATER!!

There are currently Fire, EMS, and WCSO at the Dunes of Seagrove. It appears that a lifeguard is in the water attempting to reach someone. 
 
Red Flags mean do not go in the WATER!!

***Swimmers being rescued***

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Walton County Fair

Queens of the Tiles: Mahjong at Ovide

Live Music @ Fish Out of Water

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton

International Coastal Cleanup Day Was A Success In South Walton

Merchants Of Alys Beach Announce New Dining & Shopping Options

No beachcams yet

More cams

Include enough context for a reply on the first pass: who you are, what this is about, and anything time-sensitive we should know.

Write a clear note and we will route it fast

SoWal Contact Form

What helps the SoWal team reply on the first pass

Use these links when your request already has a clear destination.

Prefer a direct route before you write?

Use this when you are not sure where your request belongs and need the SoWal team to route it.

Questions, corrections, and quick help

Share newsworthy updates, corrections, community tips, or photography that can improve SoWal coverage.

Story tips, local leads, and photos

Reach the team for business visibility, partnership planning, or other commercial opportunities.

Listings, sponsorships, and business requests

Use this path for media coordination, press follow-ups, or requests that need a communications contact.

Press outreach and interview requests

Tell us what you need and how to reach you.

Send your note here and the SoWal team will route it appropriately.

Choose the quickest route for your message

Forum account areas

Log in to view member profile, alerts, messages, watched content, bookmarks, preferences, and staff tools.

Member-only forum areas use your SoWal forum account.

Use your forum username or email to post, reply, follow threads, and manage your account.

Log in to the forum

Log in to the SoWal forum

Find people and visit their public forum profiles.

Members

Enter the six-digit code sent to {email}.

Check your email

Join the conversation

Welcome to SoWal

Sign in to SoWal

Signature preview

Ads support our local stories, BeachCams, and community guides. If you use an ad blocker, allow SoWal, then check again.

Help keep SoWal local

Your feedback helps us make SoWal better.

How was this story?

Get local stories, events, and South Walton highlights in your inbox.

Stay close to the coast

Choose whether SoWal may use optional cookies. Necessary cookies keep the site working.

Your privacy, your choice

Site navigation

Submenu

Bite-sized stories, curated itineraries, and community events delivered to your inbox on the regular.

Swimmers being rescued

Latest conversations

Write a reply

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton