JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Though wave heights are measuring slightly lower Monday than Saturday, a high rip current risk remains in effect for Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Coastal St. Johns Beaches on Monday.
Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue brought 15 people to shore on Sunday and on Saturday lifeguards rescued six people. This is a testament to how dangerous the conditions are right now.
The majority of all of the lives saved were people overestimating their ability to swim in the ocean, according to Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue.
Make sure to continuously swim within your abilities, never swim alone, and swim near a lifeguard.
Rip currents can come out of nowhere, so if you need to go in the water, only go up to your knees.
If trapped in a rip current, swim parallel to shore and don’t panic.
Also, listen to the advice of the local beach patrol and pay attention to the flag warning system. Each color represents how safe or dangerous water conditions are at that moment.
A green flag means calm ocean conditions, a yellow flag is moderate ocean conditions, and a red flag is dangerous ocean conditions. A double red flag means no water activity is allowed.
The UV Index is also very high, which means unprotected skin will be damaged and burn quickly.
Try to minimize sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., seek shade, cover up, wear a hat and sunglasses, and of course use sunscreen.