Nearly two dozen rescued off NC, SC coast during busy Memorial Day weekend

For most of North Carolina, there was a "moderate" risk of rip currents.

According to Oak Island Water Rescue, knee deep is too deep when the yellow flag is up. People should stay less than knee deep in the ocean water to reduce their chance of getting caught in a rip current.

Oak Island Water Rescue pulled one person from the water on Saturday.

"You never know what the ocean conditions are going to change to," said Danny Shell, who spent 25 years in public safety and resident of Emerald Isle.

Shell said just because the flags on the beach aren't red doesn't mean people can let their guard down.

Yellow may be moderate but all of the sudden the wind starts picking up," said Shell.

"If it's a couple of hours before high tide, then you set yourself up for rip currents," he said.

If you do get caught in a rip current, experts warn not to panic. If you feel yourself being swept out to sea, swim parallel to the shore. Don't expend all your energy at once, and lightly tread water until you reach the shore.

"Swim parallel to shore," said Lt. John Scull, with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department Ocean Rescue Team. "If we tried to turn around and swim against it, in a weak rip current, we might make it, but you're still going to get tired, and it's not something we want to do."

After the tragic drowning of two teenagers in Emerald Isle back in 2019 - Shell and his wife knew they had to do something. So they came up with Know Before You Go NC, which is a website that promotes beach safety to the public.

The website is endorsed by the American Red Cross for Eastern North Carolina.

"If you are an adult, a parent, a loved one and you are [at the beach] watching your little kids, if they don't have an approved flotation device — please carry one down to the shore with you," said Shell.

The same rip current threat that swept up at least 23 people continues into Sunday, according to WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell.