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***Swimmers being rescued***
- Thread starter Matt J
- Start date
Lynnie
SoWal Insider
John R
needs to get out more
More chuckleheads who think the flag system doesn't apply to them. The system is in place for a reason. How much more plain can it be made? It seems like those who don't live here know more about how tides and currents work than those who do. If you go out, or allow your family to go out in the water when conditions are beyond your or their capabilities, you have only yourself to blame if disaster strikes.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/all-about-sowal/26679-double-red-flag-violators.html
scooterbug44
SoWal Expert
Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn't safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn't too difficult to understand. 
Pirate
Beach Fanatic
Someone under the age of ten told me that it wasn't safe to go in the water (I was planning a ninja mission across the outfall to remove a tent), so I am pretty secure in my assessment that the flag system isn't too difficult to understand.
Chuckleheads and ten year olds, great points. This man is dead, are you being serious? The response by the county to someone dying was inadequate, that is my problem. It isn't the responders fault, it's just a bad policy that needs to be corrected in a beach town. You are happy someone died and it proves a point? I can't even express here what I think of a response that thoughtless. No one said hop right in the red flag surf and feel wonderful about it. This is a beach with swimmers and they could certainly get caught in a rip current in a yellow flag almost as easily. If it is your loved one and they die because there is no rescue equipment or enough properly trained responders, I won't make fun of you, I promise.
Last edited:
30A Skunkape
Skunky
I appreciate your point and doubt that Scooterbug is pleased in some way that one swimmer died.
I am not sure what the county can do to ensure more successful rescues. It seems to me the best strategy is to prevent people from getting into the water on red flag days, and I think most would agree the county does a fine job with the flags and beach safety campaign.
If I am not mistaken, Bay County has more lifeguards on beaches than does Walton, and my perception is that more people drown in Bay than Walton (I could be wrong with that stat, it is just my perception based on what I hear on the news). I don't know what else Walton can do to protect people who put themselves in harms way.
By the way, kudos to the rescue swimmer who hoofed-it down the beach and managed to pull three people out of that water.
Pirate, with all due respect, you misunderstand. No one can be happy that a person died on the beach. What you're reading is anger and frustration that someone died needlessly. It's particularly horrible because it keeps on happening and it never has to have happened at all. If people would only stay away from the water when the flag is red! No vacation is worth the loss of human life.
Pirate
Beach Fanatic
I do see the point about the flag system. I personally am a very accomplished swimmer and do not go in when there is a red flag unless I am surfing. It is however a choice as the single red flag does not close the water. I think everyone is somehow missing the point that in a beach town with thousands of ocean swimmers there should be a better rescue system in place for this type of problem. The initial response was so rapid, but they could not do anything to help. It was at least another 20-30 minutes before someone equipped to help these people came and that is just too long. Train some fire responders and put paddleboards or even a small pwc on the fire equipment. If that saved one life it would be worth it. It would have saved this swimmer I would bet.
scooterbug44
SoWal Expert
They are constantly trying to improve the system and responses.
A couple years ago there wouldn't even have been a lifeguard to rescue these people.
A couple years ago there wouldn't even have been a lifeguard to rescue these people.
Arkiehawg
Beach Fanatic
Pirate
With do respect, the blame shouldn't be on the system, but those who constantly like to challenge the system. The flags were Red and the gentlemen still went out into the water and unfortunately, paid with one of their lives.
The lifesaving system in SoWal is a very good system and far superior to what we had just a few years ago. Is it perfect? No, but still better than you will see in the counties east of here. The director of the program is one of the best in the world and since he has been put in charge of the coordination/training, the death rates have dropped DRAMATICALLY!
Case in point. This last week's action by the lifeguard was truly an athletic feat. Running the last 1/2 mile because the path was blocked, then swimming 50 yards and bringing back three adult men by himself! Wow. I can assure you that just a few years ago, that attempt would have been by an overweight deputy in long pants and probably would have resulted in a more tragic result.