Rip currents remain a concern off NC coast

A day after a Virginia man drowned while swimming off the coast of North Carolina, some beachgoers were cautious.
Posted 7/26/2018, 10:05:00 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:53:07 PM

>>> RIP CURRENTS ARE THE STORY

ON THE SUMMER ON THE NORTH

CAROLINA COASTS, SOME STILL

BRAVE THE WATERS AND LOSE THEIR

LIVES.

AND BRYAN MIMS IS AT THE SITE

OF THE LATEST DROWNING ON THE

COAST.

AND RED FLAGS ARE STILL FLYING.

>> INDEED THEY ARE.

>> REPORTER: THE BEACH HAS BEEN

CROWDED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

I'M STANDING IN THE AREA WHERE

THAT MAN DROWNED IN THE SERVE

YESTERDAY -- THE SURF

YESTERDAY, EMERALD AISLE HAS IT

EXPLAINED AROUND THE STRAND.

DANGER STILL HURRICANES AS

INVITING THE WATER MAY LOOK

SOME BEACHES LOOK LIKE IT'S

ENOUGH TO STICK YOUR TOES IN

THE SAND.

THE DAY BEFORE BROUGHT A WAVE

OF ANXIETY.

>> I HEARD SOMEONE MAKING A

LOUD NOISE SCREAMING.

>> SEVERAL SOMEONES WERE IN THE

WATER IN TROUBLE.

>> SOMEONE MADE A CHAIN OF

LOCKING ARMS AND GOING OUT INTO

THE WATER.

>> A HUMAN CHAIN TO FISH

SWIMMERS OUT OF THE VIOLENT

SURF.

>> ONE LINK IN THAT CHAIN WAS

AIMEE WHO SAW FOUR SWIMMERS IN

DISTRESS.

>> THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON, WE

ALL JOINED HANDS AND TRIED TO

FOCUS AND BRING IN WHOEVER WE

COULD.

>> ONE MAN, 40-YEAR-OLD TROY

STRICKLAND OF SCOTTSBURG

VIRGINIA WOULD NOT SURVIVE.

HE JUMPED INTO THE SURF TO HELP

A SWIMMER WHO WAS STRUGGLING

AND OTHERS PLUNGED IN TOO, A

FORMER MARINE WHO GOT CARRIED

AWAY BY A RIP CURRENT AS HE

TRIED TO RESCUE A MAN.

>> I PULLED HIM OUT, HE WAS OUT

OF THE RIP AND IT CAUGHT ME ON

THE EDGE OF IT AND PULLED ME

OUT AND HE STARTED COMING BACK

THIS WEEK.

>> AFTER THIS DAY, SOME BEACH

GOERS HAD TO GO IN, NEVER MIND

THE RED FLAGS, KIDS WERE

POINTED TO KIDS TO SHALLOW

WATER AND THEN WE SPOTTED THIS,

TWO LIFEGUARDS LEADING A MAN

WITH HIS BOOGEY WATER OUT OF

THE BREAKERS.

WARREN WAS CAUGHT IN A RIP

CURRENT.

>> I'M FURTHER OUT, I WAS

CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT AND I

SEE THE GIRL WITH THE RED BUOY,

SOMETIMES IT'S BEST TO STAY

BEACHED.

>> AND GET THIS.

IN JUST A TWO-HOUR PERIOD

YESTERDAY EMERALD ISLE HAD SIX

RESCUE CALLS INVOLVING 20

SWIMMERS.

UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THOSE

SWIMMERS WOULD NOT MAKE IT.

THE BEST ADVICE, WHEN THE RED

FLAGS ARE FLYING, STAY OUT OF

THE WATER.

>> PUT YOUR TOES IN IT RIGHT

THERE AND DON'T GO IN.

© WRAL