JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Large crowds are expected to converge on Jacksonville Beach, as families flock to the water to stay cool during the July 4th holiday.
Max Ervanian, a training and operations officer with Ocean Rescue, said there are three things you need to do before you leave the house to better ensure your safety on the sand and in the water.
3 steps to take before you leave home:
- Check weather conditions
- Know the beach and ocean conditions
- Make sure you have the right gear for a day at the beach
To check the weather, beach, and ocean conditions you can see real-time reports from lifeguards who are there, by looking for the MOTE Maritime Marine Beach Conditions Reporter APP on the Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue website, click here.
Ervanian said it’s important you plan your trip to the beach, “where you’re going to be, where you’re going to park, where the nearest bathrooms are, maybe where’s the nearest store for water,” he said.
Lost children
Once you arrive at the beach, you need to be sure to have a conversation with your children about where they are and where to find a lifeguard, should there be an emergency.
“Pointing out what to do if they can’t find their parent is really important. More than 20% of our calls for service last year were missing children or missing parents,” Ervanian explained. “It happens more than you think, and we really want to stress to adults if you can’t find your child to do a quick check, you don’t want to wait more than 2 minutes when alerting a lifeguard.”
The longer you wait, the further a child can wander away and the harder they are to find.
What to do in an emergency
Lifeguards have a direct line to the police.
If you see a fight, stolen property, disturbance or you are injured, Ervanian said you need to notify a lifeguard.
One other point, please do not slow them down when they are rushing to an emergency.
“Anytime you see lifeguards responding to emergencies with their lights and sirens on the truck, get out of the way. The truck is going to save someone’s life and those lights and sirens truly mean seconds to where we are going,” Ervanian said.
Rip current risk
Rip current risks on July 4th are low to moderate according to the latest forecast, but you need to always swim by a lifeguard, especially if you are not a strong swimmer.
Ervanian said most rip current deaths occur because a swimmer tries to fight the current and drowns.
If you get caught in one, he said, stay calm, don’t fight it. Swim diagonally to shore.
“Do not overestimate your ability to be in the ocean. The ocean is not a swimming pool,” Ervanian said. “When in doubt don’t go in the water.”