Please Stay Out Of The Water!

Franny, that's awful! Why do people jeopardize their lives like that? :(

WOW !!!! no swimming for the Otter crew..........

I do not know why people ignore the flags. Makes you really wonder....many of them drive cars..or even worse SCOOTERS!!!!!!

Beats the heck out of me. There was a little girl in the water up to her knees while they were pulling this poor soul out of the water..no parents in site just an older sister, maybe 12! 😱 She got out on her own before I had a chance to CHAT with her. The life guards were up down the beach and in the water so hopefully no one else entered the water. Will have to watch the news to find out his condition..prayer please.

Many of the ones getting rescued or dying, are the ones who go in the water to try to save someone else who didn't seem to have a clue. What do you do? Try to help the young kid getting swept out to sea, or sit back and hang out and watch the kid die?

Many of the ones getting rescued or dying, are the ones who go in the water to try to save someone else who didn't seem to have a clue. What do you do? Try to help the young kid getting swept out to sea, or sit back and hang out and watch the kid die?

You're right SJ. This guy went in the water to rescue his daughters...they made it out but he couldn't. Heard he will be ok. Have not seen anything on the news about this. We need our own tv reporter!

You're right SJ. This guy went in the water to rescue his daughters...they made it out but he couldn't. Heard he will be ok. Have not seen anything on the news about this. We need our own tv reporter!

Chris Mitchell, of Ch13 is supposed to be "On Your Side," but I have not seem much of him on the news lately. Ch 13 has a field office at Mystic Porte in Grayton.

Rip currents claim more victims



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March 22, 2006
By Gwen Break/The Sun
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Three people were transported to area hospitals on Tuesday, one by air ambulance, after getting caught in rip tides near Eastern Lake in the Gulf of Mexico around 10:15 a.m.
According to South Walton Fire District Deputy Chief Sean Hughes, two teen girls were on the beach when rescue officials arrived. A third victim, father to one of the girls, was approximately 250 yards offshore.
The man was in the water for about 30 minutes before rescuers could launch a personal water device and reach the man and affect a rescue.
The man had apparently gone into the water to rescue the two girls who got into trouble while swimming. He became separated and was pulled out by rip tides.
Once on the beach he was transported by AirHeart to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.
Both SWFD and Sacred Heart refused to release information on any of the victims citing HIPPA regulations.
At the time of the rescue, there was a red flag posted in one direction and a yellow flag in the other as they were in the process of being changed, said Hughes.
To the east in Bay County, an international student enrolled at an Alabama college drowned in the Gulf of later that day, according to a Panama City Beach police official.
Maj. David Humphreys said police are investigating the death of the 23-year-old Uzbekistan man who was pulled from the water behind Club La Vela at about 3:45 p.m.
He was an inexperienced swimmer and according to police officials, the victim?s roommate said despite the red flags, they were in the water together most of the day. The roommate told police they were in chest-deep water when the current began to pull the 23-year-old away from shore.
Rescue officials cautioned area visitors to look for the warning flags on the beach and heed them. A yellow flag indicates swimmers should use caution as conditions are favorable for developing hazards. A red flag indicates extremely dangerous conditions exist. Double red flags mean the water is closed to swimming.
In Walton County, those entering the water on a double red flag can be assessed a $200 fine.
This is the first year Walton County lifeguards are on duty at public beaches. On Tuesday, the nearest lifeguard to Eastern Lake was at the Santa Clara public beach access, approximately one mile to the west. The lifeguard there did run the mile to assist in rescue efforts.
Beach goers can check which flags are flying before departing by logging on to www.waltonsun.com or www.swfd.org.

Reporter Paul L. Mikolajczyk, of the News Herald in Panama City, also contributed to this article.

In Walton County, those entering the water on a double red flag can be assessed a $200 fine.

OK, I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for this one but....

This irritates me. I am a former competative swimmer, and lifeguard and by all measures -a very strong swimmer.

My favorite time to go to the beach is when the waves are big and I can body surf. I find this particularily enjoyable and invigorating. Ever since the county began implimenting it's 2 Red Flags mean NO swimming policy, I have been asked to get out of the water several times by Walton Co. officers.

I don't like that their assesment of a 'Red Flag Day' is dumbed down to the level of the absolute worst swimmer. It is perfectly safe for someone like me.

It's a personal responsibility issue for me. I think 2 Red Flags should simply be a VERY STRONG CAUTION not to go in the water. You have been warned, and you will have take personal responsibility for your actions.

Just my 2 cents.

tw512, you make a good point and we have surfers in CA waters who risk life and limb for the big waves every day. But the burden of informing inexperienced swimmers has to be considered, as do the costs to the taxpayers. I know that sounds callous, but there is a lot of money spent to rescue people in danger, many of whom thought they were "up to it."

There is also the old argument that a stronger swimmer is often the one who loses his or her life in a rip tide, based on the assumption that a less experienced swimmer does not have the skill or strength to fight against the rip tide, is more inclined to allow themselves to be pulled along until the rip tide releases them. I have heard that point made many times over the years. Have no idea how true it might or might not be. I would assume that an informed person, regardless of their swimming skills or strength, would be a safer person.

In any event, the preponderance of people going into the waters in spite of red flags, would seem that the option you desire clearly exists.

I think there are some beaches that do allow surfers out on days when the beach is closed to regular swimmers. I may have heard about this in Waikiki/Hawaii beaches (those were beautiful beaches... some can be very hazardous, though).

But, I'm one of those people who's perfectly happy to see the water off limits on red flag days. Given the number of people who've drowned just in the 3 summers we've been visiting SoWal, it sounds like it would be a lot worse without the warnings. (Does anyone remember when I think it was about 9 people who died on a red flag day and they went in the water anyway -- I think it was 2003 summer -- I'm not sure it was 9 people, but it was a lot).

I think there are some beaches that do allow surfers out on days when the beach is closed to regular swimmers. I may have heard about this in Waikiki/Hawaii beaches (those were beautiful beaches... some can be very hazardous, though).

But, I'm one of those people who's perfectly happy to see the water off limits on red flag days. Given the number of people who've drowned just in the 3 summers we've been visiting SoWal, it sounds like it would be a lot worse without the warnings. (Does anyone remember when I think it was about 9 people who died on a red flag day and they went in the water anyway -- I think it was 2003 summer -- I'm not sure it was 9 people, but it was a lot).

The Gulf is open to surfers during dbl red flag days. I don't know the exact rule, but an attached floatation deviced is most likely required. Maybe instead of the double red flag system that I have yet to see work, we could raise a flag with a dead stick person submerged. :idontno: ...and people are worried about sharks!

The Gulf is open to surfers during dbl red flag days. I don't know the exact rule, but an attached floatation deviced is most likely required. Maybe instead of the double red flag system that I have yet to see work, we could raise a flag with a dead stick person submerged. :idontno: ...and people are worried about sharks!

How about a skull & crossbones flag? Even the kids would get it then.

SJ, you are correct about surfboards being the attached flotation device that makes surfing permissable on double red flag days.

A 20 year old guy died yesterday in panama city and like 5 or 6 others had to be pulled out. I think in pc there are so many spring breakers they are having a hard time keeping them out of the water.

OK, I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for this one but....

This irritates me. I am a former competative swimmer, and lifeguard and by all measures -a very strong swimmer.

My favorite time to go to the beach is when the waves are big and I can body surf. I find this particularily enjoyable and invigorating. Ever since the county began implimenting it's 2 Red Flags mean NO swimming policy, I have been asked to get out of the water several times by Walton Co. officers.

I don't like that their assesment of a 'Red Flag Day' is dumbed down to the level of the absolute worst swimmer. It is perfectly safe for someone like me.

It's a personal responsibility issue for me. I think 2 Red Flags should simply be a VERY STRONG CAUTION not to go in the water. You have been warned, and you will have take personal responsibility for your actions.

Just my 2 cents.

I believe there is an exception if you have a board tethered to your body. Get you a little boogey board.

A 20 year old guy died yesterday in panama city and like 5 or 6 others had to be pulled out. I think in pc there are so many spring breakers they are having a hard time keeping them out of the water.

Alcohol and salt water don't mix.

I'm a former life guard and swim instructor, and consider myself a "strong swimmer" too (I'm in great aerobic shape for "a woman of a certain age".) And yet these sorts of rip tides scare the hell out of me. My husband, who is a Master's track athlete, but not a strong swimmer, got caught in a riip tide at SOWAL a few summers ago. Thank god he knew enough not to fight the rip tide, and he came out ok--but the scary part is that no one knew he was in trouble. I shudder to think what would have happened if he had 1. fought the current, or 2. gotten into worse trouble.
The red flags and guards are there to keep more people from getting into trouble or worse. The ocean has been there for a lot longer, and it is far stronger than any of us....and sometimes I think "nature's wisdom" must be heeded.

New Yorker, I couldn't agree more. I had a water safety instructor badge and always felt extremely confident in the water, having spent my entire life next to an ocean or gulf. But twice I have experienced rip tide conditions, once in the Gulf at South Walton and another time in the waters off Kuai. Two intereresting things about those experiences: (1) No matter how informed and skilled you are, it's hard to not panic when you realize you have no control over being pulled out to sea; and (2) I felt much more frightened in the HA incident, I think because of being in a decidedly less familiar place. It is interesting that almost all the drowning victims at South Walton beaches are vacationing from elsewhere.

Heed the red flags! :rofl:

A 20 year old guy died yesterday in panama city and like 5 or 6 others had to be pulled out. I think in pc there are so many spring breakers they are having a hard time keeping them out of the water.

He was 23 and what a sad day for his family. He was a student at Troy University (formerly Troy State University), Troy, Alabama, and was an exchange student from Uzbeckistan (sp??).

Why do the spring breakers not heed the warnings :bang: