***Swimmers being rescued***

[Paula]

Private beach accesses also don't have postings about the flag system, nor does the beach near the access. The flags may be 1/4 mile away, and not noticed by people who aren't looking for them - it's easy for the mind to focus on the beach, kids, etc., in front of you rather than turning right or left and noticing a flag. So, we could ask our associations to put up a flag system and safety chart by the entrances, and the TDC could provide them, even if it meant a charge (though I would hope our rental taxes would pay for things like this). Anything we do that is within our control to prevent tragedies like this (my heart goes out to this man's family) is worth it. I really can't say enough how ignorant people can be about beach safety (that includes me, especially before I became more of a beach person through SoWal and SoWal.com) and how little intuition about beach safety people have. Even those who usually use extreme caution with their families may not understand the risks of the beautiful ocean. Couple that with no signs about safety in many areas, things like this will continue to happen. If there was a sign at this beach, then it was indeed the parents'/adults' full responsibility with no excuses to keep their children out of the water.

I noticed at Sanibel Island there are no safety flags and, frankly, I don't remember seeing any safety signs at the beach or beach entrance there - at least not at the condo place where we were staying and it was a big complex with a wide stretch of beach in front. I thought that was interesting. It could be that Sanibel has no rip tides or need for red flags, but I don't know that. I give SoWal credit for the signs, flag system and life guards. Clearly, there is even more we all could be doing. Personally, I'm going to check with our Association to see if we can put up a beach safety sign at the entrance to our beach access. It's a way of telling our guests, many of whom have children, that we care about them.

 

[Susan Horn]

This whole conversation puts me in mind of my continuing amazement that Walton County -- with as many miles of waterfront as we have -- does not have water safety, swimming and lifesaving classes (and pools for learning the stuff) in every school, as a mandatory part of P.E. starting in kindergarten and all the way through graduation. Imagine if we had a resident population of strong swimmers trained in water safety.

I have tried to get the School Board to do something about this, and have also tried to get the Parks and Rec folks to do something, and it's always "Thank you for your comments, but you can't get there from here."

It's an enormous public safety issue, and the wholesale failure of our various governing bodies to address this adequately confounds me.

 

[rdelong43065]

oh SO much more can be done to get the word out about safety. no visitor is going to listen to your local station - they've go their ipods!- or is at their hotel watching tv- their making sure they spend every minute outside on their vacation!- or is reading your local paper- what do they care? the fact that "many" owners provide info in their units instead of ALL property owners and concierge services being required to explain it is an indicator

hopefully the powers that be here..tdc? will come up with a cohesive communications plan for water safety and hurricane evacuation (return) that the short or long term visit can tap into easily. there are lots of examples from other tourist destinations and cities.

Have you ever gone to any of the SWFD or TDC meetings and expressed your concern? Talking about it on a forum is going to get you nowhere. If you are that concerned for the safety of the public, you need to show up and speak out.

 

[beachmouse]

This whole conversation puts me in mind of my continuing amazement that Walton County -- with as many miles of waterfront as we have -- does not have water safety, swimming and lifesaving classes (and pools for learning the stuff) in every school, as a mandatory part of P.E. starting in kindergarten and all the way through graduation. Imagine if we had a resident population of strong swimmers trained in water safety.

We had something like that where I grew up in Michigan. Either 4th or 5th grade your gym class for a quarter was 'drownproofing'- they'd bus us over to the high school pool and we'd do a mix of swimming and water safety lessons. Fun for me since I'm utterly an utterly hopeless athlete on land but was a long time swim team kid already at that point and it was like my one chance to shine in gym class.

Alas that program was a casualty of budget cuts in the mid-80s.

In 7th grade, we also got out of social studies class for two weeks in order to take a boating safety class run by the local sheriff's office. That program's probably long gone by the wayside as well.

 

[scooterbug44]

We had swim lessons at the community pool as little kids - someone not knowing how to swim was a rarity because we spent so much time in and around water. I was quite surprised to find out that there wasn't a community pool here that offered lessons considering the amount of water surrounding us.

Knowing how to swim was actually a college requirement - they decreed that it was a necessary life skill, so every freshman had to take a swim test (think it was a 100m swim and a 5 min treading water) and if you didn't pass, you had to take swimming as your gym rotation.

The summer camp I worked at made everyone take a similar swim test w/ shoes, long pants, and long sleeved shirt in the chilly lake - even though every counselor was a lifeguard and wearing life preservers in boats was mandatory.

I took Boater's Safety Class because if you were certified, you could drive the boat at a younger age - the Department of Natural Resources offered it for a nominal fee.

 

[supermom262]

I wonder if a billboard with the flag system right before and after the 331 bridge would help. Also at the intersection of 98 & 331.

 

[beachmouse]

If it's an area where you get a lot of day trippers, that kind of system can work very well. They have displays of flags and explanations of current conditions right after the bridges to Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach.

But I suspect that most of the people most impacted by the dorwining and near-drowning issue are pretty hunkered down for a week and wouldn't see the day's signs in those locations.

 

[SHELLY]

If it's an area where you get a lot of day trippers, that kind of system can work very well. They have displays of flags and explanations of current conditions right after the bridges to Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach.

But I suspect that most of the people most impacted by the dorwining and near-drowning issue are pretty hunkered down for a week and wouldn't see the day's signs in those locations.

The toll-takers at the Pensacola Bridge hand out brochures with information about the flag system and rip-tides, as well as the lit billboards at those locations that advertise the surf conditions and they still have to go in and rescue people on red flag days.

 

[hippiechick]

Billboard at 331 is a good idea

Maybe a big Billboard with our flag warning system would help. But it seems as if more tourists ignore rules designed for thier safety while on vacation. They act like because they pay rent to stay somewhere that they should be able to do what they want, like entering the water when it is not safe, and walking in front of cars when crossing the street, riding thier bikes without regard to the rules of the road. I am actually amazed that there are not more tourists killed here because of thier disregard to thier own and thier families safety.

 

[Minnie]

Personally I think it is more the mentality of "I am on vacation I am immune to danger."

I think people read the information about the Flag system but just don't process it. I think they just can not bring themselves to think that a vacation destination can be dangerous.

I think many have no experience with the conditions of the water until they have to actually experience it, then sometimes it is too late.

This attitude of nothing will hurt me, I am on vacation is not just at the beach either, it happens many places. You have people who do not know how to ski, suddenly think that they can just put on skis and take off down the mountain. At Disney World you have parents allowing very young children to go pretty much anywhere by themselves, thinking no one would harm them there.

So until someone can figure out how to change the mindset of a tourist concering danger, not sure if anything will help.