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Many of the NC beaches don't have lifeguards. The important thing to know about rip currents, though, is the waves are not necessarily rough where the rip is. In fact, it can look like a calm place because you don't see breakers. The reason you don't see breakers is because that's where the water is being channeled back out to sea instead of coming into shore (creating waves that break against the shore). You can definitely have dangerous big surf, but you don't need that to have rip currents. We don't usually swim at lifeguarded beaches (just not our fave beaches), but if you will read the article you'll see that they were having rip currents in Myrtle Beach, too, where they do have lifeguards and two men also drowned there. A man walking in the surf at Hilton Head was pulled out by a rip and drowned, too.
Swim parallel to the beach. Don't try to swim directly against a rip current.
“I would think your chances are improved” with lifeguards, Smith said, “but there’s no guarantee.”
Indeed, the holiday deaths continued in South Carolina, in an area that has lifeguards.
In Myrtle Beach, Richard Butler, 57, of Laurinburg, died in rough waters off 72nd Ave. North. And 50-year-old Mark Baucom, from the Anson County town of Polkton, was killed in the surf off 15th Avenue South in North Myrtle Beach.
The seventh victim was reported Friday. Bob Mann, a 69 year-old visiting from Ohio, died when he was swept away by a rip current while walking in the water in Calibogue Sound at Hilton Head.
In Brunswick County, emergency officials immediately printed out instructions on how to escape rip currents and gave them to owners of rental properties. Smith, the Ocean Isle mayor, is among the property owners who distributed them during the holiday weekend.
I hope that's just a rumor. I think it's ridiculous. It's not like lifeguards were advertised and then weren't there or were there but not doing their job. It's a "swim at your own risk" beach and that has always been abundantly clear. There aren't lifeguards in the wilderness, either, and if a grizzly bear eats you in Montana or you die of heat stroke in the desert that doesn't mean you get to sue someone. It's the ocean. It's big. It's dangerous. It's not a theme park.
I'm really terribly sorry for the people that lost their lives and for their families, but before you go swimming in the ocean you should know the risks and take appropriate precautions. That's why I started this thread so people who might not be familiar with the North Carolina coast or the ocean in general could educate themselves.
Carolina Beach has lifeguards near the boardwalk area probably other areas of the beach too but definitely there. We saw one
enter the water for a rescue, it was impressive how fast he got out in the conditions. The beach was extremely crowded on the 4th so I was glad to see the life guards were paying attention. Luckily the person was ok. I think they go off duty around 7:00 pm.
I would never swim where there were no lifeguards. It's too risky.
Having been caught in a rip once, it is terrifying to realize you are unable to swim to shore. It seemed like it took forever to float down the beach to get out of the rip.
Our family is comfortable swimming w/o lifeguards. I've done it all my life, but we do have rules and we do respect the ocean, and we do know what to do in case of a rip current.
If you're looking for a beach with lifeguards Wrightsville and Carolina do have them.
Here they blow their whistle and use a bullhorn to call them in if the whistle doesn't work. They don't usually swim out unless they actually think a water rescue is needed.
Most lifeguards will try that first, but it's inevitable that people will be too oblivious to realize it's them that the lifeguard is trying to contact.
Most lifeguards will try that first, but it's inevitable that people will be too oblivious to realize it's them that the lifeguard is trying to contact.
Seems to work whenever I've seen it done. In fact, almost everyone seems to perk up and pay attention. Most people come flying out of the water fast than you cna imagine becasue they assume there's a shark. it's pretty funny
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