First drowning of the year- be careful out there!

:(

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot](Santa Rosa Beach) ? [/FONT][FONT=&quot]At approximately 1:30 p.m. this afternoon the South Walton Fire District (SWFD) received a call reporting two swimmers in distress adjacent to the beach area behind Pelican Circle and Seabreeze Boulevard in Seacrest Beach.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]SWFD lifeguards arrived on scene and found one victim who had made it to the beach. After a scan of the water, a second victim was located offshore floating face down in the water. Lifeguards entered the water and brought the individual to shore where SWFD paramedics attended to the victim, who was unable to be resuscitated.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The incident is under investigation by Walton County Sheriff?s Office and the medical examiner?s office to determine the actual cause of the accident. At the time of the incident, the beach warning flags were yellow indicating a Medium Hazard, moderate surf and/or currents.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The SWFD urges all beachgoers to know their swimming capabilities, understand and heed the beach safety warning flags, the direction of lifeguards, and swim in front of a lifeguard tower. The location of this incident was 3 miles from the closest lifeguard tower.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For more information please contact Sean Hughes, Deputy Chief and visit our website at www.swfd.org. [/FONT]

So sad. :(

Two dead as of this morning. The other was over near Pompano Joe's.

Last weekend we lost one over near Navarre.

It is so unfortunate that every year, people learn the hard way that they are not superman. Rip tide kills...PERIOD!

Usually when there are drownings, it's when a red flag or double red flag is out. Isn't that correct?

We've had this discussion before, but is there any way to actually get a sense of whether there's a rip tide in the area, especially when the waters aren't particularly rough? This is not to encourage people to go into the water thinking they can predict rip tides, but I'm curious about this.

My heart goes out to the people who lost their loved one.

Alot of drownings happen under yellow flags because the people that get caught in a rip current panic and try to fight their way back to shore. The best way to deal with that situation is to relax and float down the shore until you are able to swim back in. I had posted a picture years ago the illustrated a rip pretty well. I will try to find it again. But the best way to remember it is that if there are some waves and a calm spot in the middle... DO NOT get in at the calm spot. That is where the water is going back out causing the rip current.

You can visit the SWFD's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sout...uth-Walton-Fire-District/128568732517?sk=wall or their website, www.swfd.org for up to date flag information, beach safety information and guidance on rip currents

Beach Safety

1. What is the Beach Flag System?
2. When do South Walton Fire District Lifeguards patrol the beach?
3. What is a Rip Current?
4. How can I identify a Rip Current?
5. What do I do if I am caught in a Rip Current?
6. What do I do if I see someone is experiencing difficulty in a Rip Current?
7. What do I do if I get stung by a jellyfish?
8. Are there a lot of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico?
9. Are we allowed to walk on the sand dunes?
10. Are Sea Turtles protected?
11. Where can I find a beach wheelchair?

The thing is, it appears no one pays attention to the flag system and what it means and how to escape a rip. When we go to the beach and see people out on a red-flag day, we try to interact and ask if they know about it. Most do not. And they are very surprised when i tell them that healthy swimmers drown here every year. I would be willing to volunteer and hand out literature or a card or something. I think most people are just very unaware of the number of deaths we have here on our beaches.
I may just make up my own card and include the statistics for better understanding.

Thanks for the info on rip tides. I keep framed signs in my rental cottages to let people know the flag system and how to get out of a rip tide safely, but I think I'll put them in a more prominent place (bathrooms where people have not much else to do but read whatever reading material is around).

Interesting about the calm water in between waves. Never knew that.

I also think it would be helpful to have little cards with flag/riptide information (the TDC has pamphlets on this) to have on hand to give to people who don't know or who aren't paying attention when they're at the beach. I'm sure I could be seen as annoying (I've been known to be annoying about safety, just ask my kids...), but it would be helpful when appropriate (e.g, parents letting their kids swim when it's a red flag). Maybe I'll just keep some extra safety brochures in my beach bag as a public service. I will certainly humiliate my kids if I do that, but they're used to that (and I'll definitely be trusted when it comes time to babysit my grandchildren some far-away day even though it may not be appreciated now).

I like to rail on tourists for their cluelessness, but I must admit I never heard of rip tides and what to do if caught in one until I had lived here for a couple years.

No excuse for not knowing about the flag system as it's EVERYWHERE, but rip tides are really not common knowledge to many visitors IMO.

I like to rail on tourists for their cluelessness, but I must admit I never heard of rip tides and what to do if caught in one until I had lived here for a couple years.

No excuse for not knowing about the flag system as it's EVERYWHERE, but rip tides are really not common knowledge to many visitors IMO.

I agree that there's no reason a tourist would know about rip tides and how to get out of one (although I think the information may be on the signs at the public beach accesses, but there are no signs at private beach accesses).

I wonder about how safe beaches are that don't have any warnings or flags or other ways of notifying beach-goers of water safety. I go to Sanibel Island every year, and I've never seen a flag or other safety system that's visible along the beaches.

No, as part of my ongoing "get your dumb arse out of the water on red flag days" campaign I have made a thorough study of signage.

Typical signage is:
Flag system - big sign, 2 languages
Sea oats
Turtles w/ number to call

And at the bottom, a big blue w/ beach rules and location of access/number.

Another drowning - this one was in PCB, but the red flag was out over there. Very sad.

Griffin man drowns at Panama City Beach ?| ajc.com

I don't think the double red flag signal was used until the mid 2000s. I remember a woman from Indiana, about 20 min. from here, drowned at Grayton, the week before our visit. Until then, I got the feeling that those in charge didn't want to publicize the dangers.
Since visiting this board and our traveling regularly down there, we are aware of the dangers, but considering the percentage of Americans who watch Jerry Springer type television and vote for 'fill in the blank', I doubt if they are aware of the dangers when they head south for a beach vacation.
Perhaps digital signs, stating the number of deaths so far this year due to drownings, would be helpful. Those small portable signs that restaurants and stores use. We have traffic signs here in Louisville that update the vehicular deaths on the digital signs when there isn't a traffic issue.
The crosses placed by a loved one, near the scene of a deadly accident, are chilling reminders of how deadly our roads can be. Heading to Cincy on I-71 there is a permanent sign reminding us of terrible bus crash in the 1980s.
I think a digital update would be helpful. It's not going to keep people from coming down here, I don't think.
(What's going to keep people from coming down here is the 'quality' of the water. Unfortunately, the algae, or whatever, is becoming a constant and seldom do we have warm water and clear water at the same time - at least a week's worth. We do enjoy 30A and walk, ride our bikes, sit near the water, dine out, but when it comes down to basics, getting in the water and staying there for hours at a time is the best part of the day, during a summer vacation visit.)
See you soon, Ellen

I have surfed all over the country and have never heard of an area that people drown in like this area. I really don't get it. Even areas with much bigger surf. Maybe the county should make a point to encourage people to only go in the water with flotation devices. Even on calm days. As a surfer, I love red flag days. Heck, I live for them but I am also attached to a flotation device when I go out. It seems like after hurricane Opal we started having more drownings. Not sure if Opal created a deeper gap between the shore and the first sandbar but I never remember hearing about drownings growing up here. Seems almost weekly now. Is it more people? A change in the Gulf? No clue? My own family rule is if you are going in, bring something that floats.

I think the problem is made worse by just how calm and unthreatening our beaches look most of the time, lulling our visitors into a false sense of security. Rip currents are a stealthy danger that take one by surprise... :(

I have surfed all over the country and have never heard of an area that people drown in like this area. I really don't get it. Even areas with much bigger surf. Maybe the county should make a point to encourage people to only go in the water with flotation devices. Even on calm days. As a surfer, I love red flag days. Heck, I live for them but I am also attached to a flotation device when I go out. It seems like after hurricane Opal we started having more drownings. Not sure if Opal created a deeper gap between the shore and the first sandbar but I never remember hearing about drownings growing up here. Seems almost weekly now. Is it more people? A change in the Gulf? No clue? My own family rule is if you are going in, bring something that floats.

Good point. As a surfer, do you have any idea why it's not customary to stock emergency flotation devices at beach accesses? Unless you are swimming near a lifeguard station, a distressed swimmer's odds of getting professional help seem small. It also seems that many of the people drowning are those people jumping in to help others (quite often, Dad's going in after their own kids.) I don't know the stories of these drownings, but maybe if they had floatation devices at least the would-be rescuers might be able to help themselves.

Good point. As a surfer, do you have any idea why it's not customary to stock emergency flotation devices at beach accesses? Unless you are swimming near a lifeguard station, a distressed swimmer's odds of getting professional help seem small. It also seems that many of the people drowning are those people jumping in to help others (quite often, Dad's going in after their own kids.) I don't know the stories of these drownings, but maybe if they had floatation devices at least the would-be rescuers might be able to help themselves.

One of the drownings was near our walkover...very helpless feeling. I called SWFD to ask what size life ring I should attach to my walkover and was convinced not to do so. To sum it up, the safety director for the beaches said that if I could assure that someone would throw in the ring & not follow it in and try to rescue, then fine, but many of the drownings are from rescuers who get into trouble, doubling the tragedy. I see 3 keys here: educating as to what to do when caught in a rip current, using a flotation device (I'm a good swimmer but would have had one last week when the drowning occured), and having more lifeguards. The drowning was near Camp Creek Lake & the closest lifeguard came from Inlet Beach.

One of the drownings was near our walkover...very helpless feeling. I called SWFD to ask what size life ring I should attach to my walkover and was convinced not to do so. To sum it up, the safety director for the beaches said that if I could assure that someone would throw in the ring & not follow it in and try to rescue, then fine, but many of the drownings are from rescuers who get into trouble, doubling the tragedy. I see 3 keys here: educating as to what to do when caught in a rip current, using a flotation device (I'm a good swimmer but would have had one last week when the drowning occured), and having more lifeguards. The drowning was near Camp Creek Lake & the closest lifeguard came from Inlet Beach.

I don't quite understand that reasoning -- ensuring they won't go in with the ring. Aren't many of the drownings from rescuers going in without a floatation device anyway? How will giving them a ring hurt them anymore?