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Updated: 9:33 PM May 26, 2008
Red Flags Still Flying; One Swimmer Remains Missing
Rough surf has certainly kept rescue workers quite busy over this holiday weekend. Red flags are still flying along our shores Monday, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent for many people hitting the beach.
Posted: 5:21 PM May 26, 2008 Dangerous Gulf - Day Three |
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Rough surf has certainly kept rescue workers quite busy over this holiday weekend.
Red flags are still flying along our shores Monday, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent for many people hitting the beach.
Red flags are still flying along the shores Monday afternoon, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent for many people hitting the beach. Even with the danger, some folks insist on getting in the water.
Over the weekend and into Monday, more than 100 rescue calls have been sent out. Thirty-three of those water calls came into the Panama City Beach Police Department, which is compared to two calls last year.
One person lost his life. Another is still missing. They believe the missing person was in the water, but they have not been able to locate him.
Even with increased patrols, it's been tough to keep up with the demand. So, if you are going to risk swimming in the water you need to be extra careful.
Beach Police say they understand when folks come to the beach, part of the fun is getting into the water. So, many times they will ignore the red flags.
"A lot of people come to Panama City Beach to bathe in the Gulf and they are determined to do that. What people have to realize is we're not trying to hassle people by telling them to stay out of the water. We're doing it for their safety. We don't want people to get into trouble in the water. We want people to have a good time here and survive to come back again," said Major Dave Humphreys, with the Panama City Beach Police Department.
The reasons for the red flags are the rip tide and strong currents.
Latest Comments
I agree with Amanda. Law enforcement doesn't just expect people to obey the laws, posted or not. Why is it expected that all people are going to stay out of the water because there are red flags. In this case there were none. It should not be left to bystanders to risk their lives to attempt to rescue a distressed/drowning victim. The failure to rescue involved my brother, Austin. He tried to do the job of a lifeguard and was not able to save the young man. If the city was better preapred to help its citizens and tourists, instead of just take thier money, this may not have happened.
My friends and I just returned from Panama City Beach yesterday afternoon and witnessed quite a few rescues and what we believe to have been a failure to rescue. We stayed at Emerald Isle on the west side of Panama City. I have been going to the beach since I was a small child and I know to look for flags before I go into the water. From where we were just outside our condo there was not a single flag in clear sight to any of us. I dont know who is responsible for making sure these flags are present and able to be seen but this was not done over this weekend when so many rescues had to be made. I understand that the swimmer has the responsibility to check the conditions of the water before they enter but when there are no flags present that is quite difficult. I dont like that the comment in this article made by the mayor presumes that people saw the flags and ignored them. This was certainly not the case.
Lifeguards! Flags do not keep people out of the water. duh.
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Dangerous Gulf - Day Three








