Stay calm, don't panic: Wrightsville Beach lifeguards demonstrate rip current safety ahead of holiday week
So far this summer, seven people have drowned along the North Carolina coast -- 28 nationwide -- due to rip currents. But hundreds more have been rescued.
At least once a day, lifeguards at Wrightsville Beach race into the water to save someone.
"This is a labor intensive process to get someone out of the water that's unable to get out themselves," said John Scull, with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department Ocean Rescue.
Most of the time, Scull says, people need help because they find themselves caught in a rip current.
"As this current is pulling people away from shore, they're going to panic, they're going to get tired because they're going to try to swim against it," he said.
Lifeguards say if you find yourself in a rip current the safest thing is to stay calm, swim parallel to the shore, or float, and signal for help.
"As that rescuer approaches, they can give up. So that's when we need to act and intervene," Scull said.
Once the swimmer is out of the water, immediate medical care begins until an ambulance arrives.
"We're going to give 5 rescue breaths, we're going to bring out O2 cylinders, we're going to hook up oxygen to him," he said.
Last summer lifeguards in Wrightsville Beach rescued 600 people.
"The ocean is an inherently dangerous place," Scull said.
Rescuers say having a flotation device the victim can grab onto is a major key to saving lives.
"You've got them on flotation, you've stopped the drowning process," he said.
Experts say it is best to always swim in front of a lifeguard stand.
Ahead of the July 4th holiday, lifeguards are expecting even more people in the water. With just 18 lifeguards covering Wrightsville Beach, they say it’s imperative for everyone to keep their eyes out for swimmers in trouble.
