Lifeguards in Manatee County are warning beach goers of the current rip current dangers.
- Manatee lifeguards warning beachgoers of rip current dangers
- Anna Maria Island lifeguards have made 25 rescues this month
- Marine Rescue team updated warning flag to red
Lifeguards on Anna Maria Island have made a nearly record-breaking amount of water rescues this month.
The last few weeks have brought rain, wind, and more rain, putting lifeguards on Coquina Beach on high alert.
Lifeguard Marshal Greene rescued a little girl who was pulled into the gulf Wednesday morning.
“When I first started here it was nerve-racking. When it was go time I would basically just black out and just go and make the rescue. Now it’s just full speed go,” Greene said.
Wednesday’s rescue is just one of 25 rip current-related rescues that have been made on the island this June.
“So in June of last year, I don’t think we had any rip current rescues,” Joe Westerman, Marine Rescue Chief, said.
With the busy season so far, the Marine Rescue team has updated the warning flag to red – meaning only the strongest of swimmers should enter the water.
They’re also talking to beachgoers, telling them to stay calm if they get caught, until help arrives.
“When you have kids and they’re in the ocean and you can’t keep them out, you have to know what to do. Now can they do it? That’s a different story,” Joanna Brockell, beachgoer, said.
Some of the lifeguard stands on Coquina Beach are closed on weekdays because the Marine Rescue Unit doesn’t have enough staff to put guards there every single day. They’re hoping to add six new guards by 2019.
“Adding more staff would give us a wider coverage and open more towers during the week,” Westerman said.
For right now, they say the safest spot to hit the waves is right in front of their eyes.
If you get caught in a rip current, lifeguards say to swim parallel to the shoreline until help arrives.