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Please Stay Out Of The Water!
- Thread starter Franny
- Start date
seagrovelover
little sugar
WOW !!!! no swimming for the Otter crew..........
InletBchDweller
SoWal Insider
I do not know why people ignore the flags. Makes you really wonder....many of them drive cars..or even worse SCOOTERS!!!!!! 
Franny
Beach Fanatic
Beats the heck out of me. There was a little girl in the water up to her knees while they were pulling this poor soul out of the water..no parents in site just an older sister, maybe 12! 
She got out on her own before I had a chance to CHAT with her. The life guards were up down the beach and in the water so hopefully no one else entered the water. Will have to watch the news to find out his condition..prayer please.
She got out on her own before I had a chance to CHAT with her. The life guards were up down the beach and in the water so hopefully no one else entered the water. Will have to watch the news to find out his condition..prayer please.
Smiling JOe
SoWal Expert
Many of the ones getting rescued or dying, are the ones who go in the water to try to save someone else who didn't seem to have a clue. What do you do? Try to help the young kid getting swept out to sea, or sit back and hang out and watch the kid die?
Smiling JOe
SoWal Expert
Chris Mitchell, of Ch13 is supposed to be "On Your Side," but I have not seem much of him on the news lately. Ch 13 has a field office at Mystic Porte in Grayton.Franny said:
Camp Creek Kid
Christini Zambini
Rip currents claim more victims
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March 22, 2006
By Gwen Break/The Sun
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Three people were transported to area hospitals on Tuesday, one by air ambulance, after getting caught in rip tides near Eastern Lake in the Gulf of Mexico around 10:15 a.m.
According to South Walton Fire District Deputy Chief Sean Hughes, two teen girls were on the beach when rescue officials arrived. A third victim, father to one of the girls, was approximately 250 yards offshore.
The man was in the water for about 30 minutes before rescuers could launch a personal water device and reach the man and affect a rescue.
The man had apparently gone into the water to rescue the two girls who got into trouble while swimming. He became separated and was pulled out by rip tides.
Once on the beach he was transported by AirHeart to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.
Both SWFD and Sacred Heart refused to release information on any of the victims citing HIPPA regulations.
At the time of the rescue, there was a red flag posted in one direction and a yellow flag in the other as they were in the process of being changed, said Hughes.
To the east in Bay County, an international student enrolled at an Alabama college drowned in the Gulf of later that day, according to a Panama City Beach police official.
Maj. David Humphreys said police are investigating the death of the 23-year-old Uzbekistan man who was pulled from the water behind Club La Vela at about 3:45 p.m.
He was an inexperienced swimmer and according to police officials, the victim?s roommate said despite the red flags, they were in the water together most of the day. The roommate told police they were in chest-deep water when the current began to pull the 23-year-old away from shore.
Rescue officials cautioned area visitors to look for the warning flags on the beach and heed them. A yellow flag indicates swimmers should use caution as conditions are favorable for developing hazards. A red flag indicates extremely dangerous conditions exist. Double red flags mean the water is closed to swimming.
In Walton County, those entering the water on a double red flag can be assessed a $200 fine.
This is the first year Walton County lifeguards are on duty at public beaches. On Tuesday, the nearest lifeguard to Eastern Lake was at the Santa Clara public beach access, approximately one mile to the west. The lifeguard there did run the mile to assist in rescue efforts.
Beach goers can check which flags are flying before departing by logging on to www.waltonsun.com or www.swfd.org.
Reporter Paul L. Mikolajczyk, of the News Herald in Panama City, also contributed to this article.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 22, 2006
By Gwen Break/The Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three people were transported to area hospitals on Tuesday, one by air ambulance, after getting caught in rip tides near Eastern Lake in the Gulf of Mexico around 10:15 a.m.
According to South Walton Fire District Deputy Chief Sean Hughes, two teen girls were on the beach when rescue officials arrived. A third victim, father to one of the girls, was approximately 250 yards offshore.
The man was in the water for about 30 minutes before rescuers could launch a personal water device and reach the man and affect a rescue.
The man had apparently gone into the water to rescue the two girls who got into trouble while swimming. He became separated and was pulled out by rip tides.
Once on the beach he was transported by AirHeart to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.
Both SWFD and Sacred Heart refused to release information on any of the victims citing HIPPA regulations.
At the time of the rescue, there was a red flag posted in one direction and a yellow flag in the other as they were in the process of being changed, said Hughes.
To the east in Bay County, an international student enrolled at an Alabama college drowned in the Gulf of later that day, according to a Panama City Beach police official.
Maj. David Humphreys said police are investigating the death of the 23-year-old Uzbekistan man who was pulled from the water behind Club La Vela at about 3:45 p.m.
He was an inexperienced swimmer and according to police officials, the victim?s roommate said despite the red flags, they were in the water together most of the day. The roommate told police they were in chest-deep water when the current began to pull the 23-year-old away from shore.
Rescue officials cautioned area visitors to look for the warning flags on the beach and heed them. A yellow flag indicates swimmers should use caution as conditions are favorable for developing hazards. A red flag indicates extremely dangerous conditions exist. Double red flags mean the water is closed to swimming.
In Walton County, those entering the water on a double red flag can be assessed a $200 fine.
This is the first year Walton County lifeguards are on duty at public beaches. On Tuesday, the nearest lifeguard to Eastern Lake was at the Santa Clara public beach access, approximately one mile to the west. The lifeguard there did run the mile to assist in rescue efforts.
Beach goers can check which flags are flying before departing by logging on to www.waltonsun.com or www.swfd.org.
Reporter Paul L. Mikolajczyk, of the News Herald in Panama City, also contributed to this article.
Uncle Timmy
Beach Fanatic
Camp Creek Kid said:
OK, I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for this one but....
This irritates me. I am a former competative swimmer, and lifeguard and by all measures -a very strong swimmer.
My favorite time to go to the beach is when the waves are big and I can body surf. I find this particularily enjoyable and invigorating. Ever since the county began implimenting it's 2 Red Flags mean NO swimming policy, I have been asked to get out of the water several times by Walton Co. officers.
I don't like that their assesment of a 'Red Flag Day' is dumbed down to the level of the absolute worst swimmer. It is perfectly safe for someone like me.
It's a personal responsibility issue for me. I think 2 Red Flags should simply be a VERY STRONG CAUTION not to go in the water. You have been warned, and you will have take personal responsibility for your actions.
Just my 2 cents.