Rip currents have been the cause of multiple deadly drownings along the North Carolina coast this summer and the reason behind hundreds of rescues.
Ocean Rescue teams from the Outer Banks to Ocean Isle have been keeping a diligent eye on swimmers since Memorial Day. In Surf City, however, they do things a little different.
What You Need To Know
Surf City uses a patrolling method of guarding beaches rather than a surveying method
To supplement life saving measures, safety stations are being installed at every all Surf City Public Beach Accesses
These safety stations are equipped with beach warning flags, a flotation device and necessary safety information for swimmers
Allen Wilson, the Surf City fire chief, says they take a different approach to keeping the beach safe.
“So in Surf City, we do not have what normal people would call lifeguards,” explained Wilson, “with lifeguard stands with a surveying type of response.”
Although you won’t find any traditional guards in Surf City, rest assured, there are still trained professionals ready to step in.
“We have two beach buggies, or UTVs, on the beach during the day,” said Wilson, "and they have two ocean rescue swimmers.”
Wilson says the team made 39 ocean rescues in 2023. This year, they’re already up to 15.
“We can patrol,” said Wilson, “and we can be in more parts of the beach than if we had stationary lifeguards.”
Without stationary guards, swimmers will have to take their safety into their own hands. That’s why Surf City is installing safety stations at each of its public beach accesses.
“It provides educational materials to show you what the beach flag condition is, what does the color mean, and it gives some other educational information about rip currents,” said Wilson. “It also provides a flotation device.”
Just because a flotation device is provided doesn’t mean every beach goer needs to feel some sort of responsibility to step in if there’s an emergency.
“We do not encourage bystander rescue,” said Wilson. “However, if you are a strong swimmer and you witness somebody having trouble in the water, we want to at least provide you with the flotation device that you can go out and try to help that person.”
Wilson says these stations work and that a bystander successfully rescued a distressed swimmer last year thanks to a flotation device provided by the city.
The flotation device is just one part of these safety stations and the chief hopes people take advantage of the valuable information provided. After all, keeping people safe starts with keeping them informed.
“Part of our mission is also to educate and prevent these injuries and prevent these deaths,” said Wilson. “A system like this it really allows us to get that information out to more people every day.”
Surf City currently has 11 beach safety stations installed. The remaining 28 should be installed in the coming weeks.