VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Eighty-seven bathers were rescued along the Volusia County coast on July 4, according to Volusia County Beach Safety.
That figure — recorded as feels-like temperatures hit 108 degrees in the area — pushes Volusia’s total ocean rescues past 260 over the last several days.
Days before hundreds of families got to Daytona Beach to set up and lay out for the holiday, however, Volusia Beach Safety Capt. AJ Miller warned of the rip current risk.
“Even with those small waves, what’s going to happen is a lot of what we get are people are playing and the wave comes through and kind of lifts you up, carries you out a little bit, sets you down, another wave comes through lifts you back up and carries you out further and before you know it you’re where you can’t touch,” Miller said.
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Rip currents are powerful channels of fast-moving water that move away from the shore, often at low spots or at breaks in the sandbar as well as along or near jetties or piers.
A big key to staying safe is always knowing the conditions of the water before entering by checking the lifeguard tower and knowing what to do if caught in a rip current.
While the first reaction might be to swim directly back to shore, anyone caught in a rip current should swim along or parallel to the shoreline. This will allow you to exit that strong channel of water pulling you outward. Once you feel the pull lessen, swim at an angle away from the current and toward the shore.
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Monica Bowers, who is from Tennessee, said she was keeping safety top-of-mind while visiting with her family on Tuesday.
“We’ll stay close by, because we got a little one here,” Bowers said. “I love the beach. It’s my favorite place to be, especially on the Fourth of July.”
Volusia Beach Safety said fireworks and alcohol are also prohibited for anyone visiting county beaches.
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