DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Lifeguards along the coast are getting ready for the Fourth of July crowds and keeping them safe from the dangerous rip currents. Volusia Beach Safety is already waving the red flag warning for beachgoers and expecting to make dozens, if not hundreds of rescues because of how strong the currents are.
“The feeling is you’re trying to swim to shore and you’re not going anywhere and a lot of times you don’t realize you’re in that rip current until you try to swim back to shore,” said Beach Safety Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs.
Malphurs said be prepared: the rip currents are coming in more frequently and are much stronger this year after the hurricanes caused severe erosion in the fall.
“That put a lot of holes in our sandbar and when you have the holes in the sandbar, that creates the rip currents, it creates the break in the sandbar. So we’re experiencing more rip currents and hazardous conditions,” she said.
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Close to a dozen people have died in the last two weeks in the Panhandle from rip currents.
So far this year in Volusia County, three people have died. Just on Memorial Day, Volusia lifeguards made over 300 rescues.
Malphurs said the key is to not panic if sucked in.
“It doesn’t pull you underwater, it just pulls you in deeper water. Float, yell for help, don’t try to swim back through that rip current. Swim parallel to shore, either left or right,” she said.
There will be over 60 lifeguard towers set up for the holiday weekend. The county has a “Volusia Beaches” smartphone app that tells you where they are in real-time.
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“Even the strongest swimmers get caught in rip currents. It’s extremely important to be in front of that staffed lifeguard tower, they can see you in that rip current before you even realize you’re in it,” said Malphurs.
On top of Beach Safety fully staffing up, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said they will be fully staffed with deputies on the beach. He said deputies will be out in full force both during the day and at night looking for those breaking laws like launching fireworks on the beach.
“The only thing I want you to leave on the beach is your footprints. If you’re out here shooting off fireworks, there’s a good chance they’re going to get confiscated and you’re going to get ticketed or arrested for doing it,” he said.
Despite a statewide law allowing fireworks, Chitwood said many cities in Volusia have ordinances against them and the beach is an absolute no-go.
He said there will also be undercover deputies patrolling the beach this weekend, looking for alcohol and thieves.
“You get up, you go take a walk and go into the ocean, when you come back, your bag is missing, your cell phone is missing, your wallet’s missing so we’re out in plain clothes looking for that,” said Chitwood.
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