The Gulf of Mexico is a picturesque scene with its emerald green water, but tourists don’t always realize the dangers present.
There were three drownings last year, and a teenager from Kentucky was seriously hurt Tuesday when he dove into the surf on Okaloosa Island.
“It’s about using common sense,” said Gary Wise, beach safety director for the South Walton Fire District. “If you don’t know if there’s a sandbar, don’t dive. If there are rip currents don’t get in the water.
“It’s very simple.”
Wise said the number of emergency calls has increased this year and that lifeguards have been talking to more people about beach safety.
“We’re up 600 people,” Wise said. “That’s 600 people we’ve spoken to and possibly saved. Water rescues should be the last resort.”
Tracey Vause, Okaloosa County’s beach safety coordinator, said his lifeguards also talk to people to help prevent tragedies.
“Just like anything, there are a number of rules you should know before going to the beach, but a lot of folks are not familiar with the area so they don’t know the hazards,” Vause said.
He suggested that beachgoers should always swim near a lifeguard, never swim alone and swim sober. Vause added that neck injuries can occur in several ways, such as diving from a height, diving in shallow water or body surfing.
“There’s a saying: ‘Feet first the first time,’ ” he said. “At least check the depth of obstructions before. Another way people are injured is when they’re body surfing in rough waves. One way to stop that is to put your hand out first so at least you’ll have some stopping mechanism there.”
Beachgoers also should pay attention to warning flags on the beach, said Terry Wallace, utilities supervisor with Santa Rosa County.
“Green means calm, yellow is medium hazard, red is for rough and double red is when the water is closed to the public,” Wallace said. “If people just pay attention it will stop a lot of the problems.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.
