One swimmer drowned, another rescued in South Walton | rosa, santa, beach - Northwest Florida Daily News
First drowning of the year- be careful out there!
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[FONT="]Drowning in Camp Creek area of South Walton[/FONT]
[FONT="](Santa Rosa Beach) ? [/FONT][FONT="]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="]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="]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="] 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]
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[FONT="]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!
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.
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
Beach Safety
- What is the Beach Flag System?
- When do South Walton Fire District Lifeguards patrol the beach?
- What is a Rip Current?
- How can I identify a Rip Current?
- What do I do if I am caught in a Rip Current?
- What do I do if I see someone is experiencing difficulty in a Rip Current?
- What do I do if I get stung by a jellyfish?
- Are there a lot of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico?
- Are we allowed to walk on the sand dunes?
- Are Sea Turtles protected?
- 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.
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).
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).