Rescue workers busy pulling folks from surf

[Jdarg]

We were at Grayton today and had the pleasure of spending some time with the Beach Safety director, Gary Wise. He was walking around Grayton, from umbrella to umbrella, imploring people to please heed the red flag warnings and pointing out rip tides. We discussed different ideas for safety at the beaches when there are not enough lifeguards and too many fools- more on these ideas later- they involve us local beachgoers!

Anyhoo- shame on the dad who left his kids out in the water to retrieve something from his beachchair, and shame on the local woman who told me "It doesn't look that bad"....:roll: Ahhh...Darwin....

Gary- it was a pleasure to meet you! Thanks for all you do- I bet you are tired today!

 

[Minnie]

Hopefully things will calm down next week when we arrive for our annual vacation. We select our vacation week based on the moon cycle. No moon = calm water. Is that mostly true?

Actually the Full moon and no moon, aka New Moon, are the same as far as tides are concerned.

Spring Tides
When the moon is full or new, the gravitational pull of the moon and sun are combined. At these times, the high tides are very high and the low tides are very low. This is known as a spring high tide. Spring tides are especially strong tides (they do not have anything to do with the season Spring). They occur when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in a line. The gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun both contribute to the tides. Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon.

 

[beachyteachy]

But kudos to you for saying something to someone earlier! Even though "it doesn't look that bad" doesn't mean you're not going to get pulled under. That idiot guy that was far out with his 2 BABIES had me worried. Those kids couldn't have been more than 4-5 years old... There was no excuse to be in the water at Grayton. Let your kids play in the lake for goodness sake!

We were at Grayton today and had the pleasure of spending some time with the Beach Safety director, Gary Wise. He was walking around Grayton, from umbrella to umbrella, imploring people to please heed the red flag warnings and pointing out rip tides. We discussed different ideas for safety at the beaches when there are not enough lifeguards and too many fools- more on these ideas later- they involve us local beachgoers!

Anyhoo- shame on the dad who left his kids out in the water to retrieve something from his beachchair, and shame on the local woman who told me "It doesn't look that bad"....:roll: Ahhh...Darwin....

Gary- it was a pleasure to meet you! Thanks for all you do- I bet you are tired today!

 

[Matt J]

The thing that shocks me about most people is the "look at the water" method. This just takes stupidity to a new level. If this worked we wouldn't have seasoned proffesionals changing flags.

Unfortunately it's going to take a very sad event for most people to take note of the flag system and beach safety.

Personally I will continue to beat it into my friends and loved ones heads, as for the others I can only sit back and watch. I only say this as I've tried to explain the flags in the past and most people look at you like your wearing a sandwich board with the world is flat on it.

 

[NoHall]

The thing that shocks me about most people is the "look at the water" method. This just takes stupidity to a new level. If this worked we wouldn't have seasoned proffesionals changing flags.

Unfortunately it's going to take a very sad event for most people to take note of the flag system and beach safety.

Personally I will continue to beat it into my friends and loved ones heads, as for the others I can only sit back and watch. I only say this as I've tried to explain the flags in the past and most people look at you like your wearing a sandwich board with the world is flat on it.

What surprised me this year from my group was having an intelligent, grown man say to me, "I doubt they even bother to change those flags from day to day."



I told him that, from my understanding, they were in fact changed as often as the conditions warranted a change.

 

[Matt J]

What surprised me this year from my group was having an intelligent, grown man say to me, "I doubt they even bother to change those flags from day to day."



I told him that, from my understanding, they were in fact changed as often as the conditions warranted a change.

Usually twice a day, but if something pops up they'll change it again. Just cause the flag is green or yellow if the life guard on duty tells you to get out he's got a good reason and direction to do so.

 

[CPort]

Last night's ch 7 (PCB) news reported over 100 rescues in PCB, yesterday, with 40+ in South Walton. I saw the aftermath of one or two yesterday in Seaside and Seagrove within 10 minutes of each other. Double red flags were hoisted and a sheriff deputy and lifeguard walked past one guy standing waist-deep in the water (dbl reds flying), and they didn't even look twice at the guy. Talked to a guy later who said that Darwin would take care of anyone who wanted to go out there.

Just heard on the PCB news tonight that one of the missing guys from PCB was found this morning, dead in the water. He was last seen going in after another swimmer who was in trouble.

One fellow SoWal.comER performed a successful rescue yesterday at Grayton. Good Job!

THis person was from HOlly Springs,Ms it was just reported on our news at 10pm

 

[Smiling JOe]

There was no excuse to be in the water at Grayton. Let your kids play in the lake for goodness sake!

The Lake inlet was crystal clear yesterday, and the depths vary from shallow to very shallow, making it better than a man-made water park. -- absolutely gorgeous!

The rip currents, tied with many people's inability to make good judgments of whether or not they should go into the water, made for a stressful and hectic four-day holiday weekend for SoWal Lifeguards and rescue crews.

I was a little surprised to see a TDC commercial on the Beach Flag System the other day. I've seen them before, but this was the first time I heard the adult telling the kids, that only strong swimmers should go into the water when Red Flags are flying. If a strong swimmer doesn't understand rip currents, they too, can drown. I know what they are trying to say, but I think the message may be miscommunicated.

SWFD Lifeguard Director, Gary Wise is indeed a busy-sounding man. I think we all need to pay close attention to what he and his lifeguard crews are saying. This man has performed many, many rescues right here in South Walton. We are extremely lucky to have him heading this team of people who are attempting to help educate our beach-goers on safety and sometimes, even saving their lives. Gary is interested in helping to educate this community, and getting some community support and feedback on how to improve on the current system. Thanks again, Gary and to all of your crew!


(edited -- thanks for the correction BeachSiO2)

 

[BeachSiO2]

The Lake inlet was crystal clear yesterday, and the depths vary from shallow to very shallow, making it better than a man-made water park. -- absolutely gorgeous!

The rip currents, tied with many people's inability to make good judgments of whether or not they should go into the water, made for a stressful and hectic four-day holiday weekend for SoWal Lifeguards and rescue crews.

I was a little surprised to see a TDC commercial on the Beach Flag System the other day. I've seen them before, but this was the first time I heard the adult telling the kids, that only strong swimmers should go into the water when Red Flags are flying. If a strong swimmer doesn't understand rip currents, they too, can drown. I know what they are trying to say, but I think the message may be miscommunicated.

SWFD Lifeguard Director, Gary Wise is indeed a busy-sounding man. I think we all need to pay close attention to what he and his lifeguard crews are saying. This man has performed many, many rescues right here in South Walton. We are extremely lucky to have him heading this team of people who are attempting to help educate our beach-goers on safety and sometimes, even saving their lives. Gary is interested in helping to educate this community, and getting some community support and feedback on how to improve on the current system. Thanks again, Gary and to all of your crew!

For those new members who might not know anything about Gary (and I know very little, but the little I've heard says so much), I'll share the first story I read about Gary Wise. Back around 2005, there was a girl who was bitten by a shark in Miramar Beach. As I recall the story, Gary, who I don't think was a SoWal Lifeguard at the time, was at the beach and saw the girl in trouble. He grabbed his surfboard and paddled out to the girl who was surrounded in a cloud of her own blood from the bite. He pulled her onto his board and paddled back to shore. (I seem to remember hearing that he had to punch the shark a few times, as he was trying to retrieve the girl.) I think the girl later died from too much blood loss. Regardless, I've asked myself many times if I had the courage to do something like that, and while I like to hope I do, there is still a big "?," as to how I might react. I doubt Gary thought twice about it. That is just what he does.

Gary is a great guy and a tremendous asset to Sowal. He and the SWFD have created an incredible lifeguard program that is making a positive impact.

That being said, he wasn't the guy at Miramar during the shark attack. It was Tim Dicus who was surfing at the time. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/26/shark.attack/

 

[scooterbug44]

Last night I was telling the folks about the drowning and how many people they had to rescue. Mom's response: "Do they not have the flag system anymore?" :roll:

Kudos to the lifeguards and Gary for protecting all these idiots from Darwinism.

Nice that he wants to get the locals involved, but based on my experience, nothing will keep the idiots out of the water except a visible fin or jellies!