VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — During the last weekend of July, Virginia Beach lifeguards pulled more than 90 people out of the water.
“We had red flags up. We try to keep people out of the water when we can. When you are talking about the kind of wave activity we had, it was three to five feet, it was the perfect combination of a whole lot of people and a whole lot of pulling rip currents,” explained Tom Gill, Chief of Virginia Beach Lifesaving service.
Gill said it’s crucial not to panic if you get stuck in a rip current.
“If you can just stay there and float, you are going to be fine. That rip is likely going to dissipate and you can probably come straight in from there. If it’s a really strong current and you’re going out and you want to start swimming laterally outside the current, that’s a great idea, but that’s for a fairly good swimmer,” explained Gill.
He said if you can’t float or tread water for at least 30 seconds, you shouldn’t swim in the ocean. If you ever have any questions or concerns, Gill said don’t hesitate to talk with a lifeguard.
On Friday, lifeguards rescued 66-year-old Numeriano Tan of Princeton, New Jersey. Medics took him to the hospital where he later died.
Vacationer Chris Clarke said, “[Lifeguards] are constantly blowing their whistles. They are constantly off their perch and running somewhere to make sure people are safe.”
Clarke, from Canada, said these are some of the biggest waves he’s ever seen!
“The undertow is unbelievable right now. It’s crazy. You go in and literally it’s taking your feet away from you, from the surface.” Clarke said.