VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Despite the rain driving people inside Monday, beachgoers at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront saw sunny skies Saturday and Sunday. Lifeguards say even with the big crowds, they had a safe holiday weekend.
"Now finally it's going to catch up to us today, but overall, a great first weekend here for Memorial Day weekend," said Tom Gill, Chief of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service.
He said they reunited 25 lost children with their parents and only made two water rescues throughout the weekend.
"Quick, simple, but people wanted help and needed help and we were there to provide it," he said.
Gill said in total last summer, they rescued around 831 people in the water. Two hundred of them were rescued during the 4th of July weekend alone. All of them were okay.
"It was our third highest in the last 13 years," he said.
If you’re planning to head to the beach again this summer, or haven’t made it out quite yet, Gill said it’s so important to listen to the lifeguards who are looking out for dangers like rip currents.
"Make sure you listen to their direction and if they’re trying to whistle you back in, they’re probably doing it for a reason," he said.
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He encourages people to make sure they know how to swim, swim near lifeguards, and avoid swimming alone. If you get caught in a rip current, don't fight it. Relax and swim parallel to the shore until you feel the current relax. If you need help, yell or wave.
Gill also encourages people to keep an eye out for red flags flying: that could mean anything from the water is closed or in dangerous conditions. He said you can always ask a lifeguard.
Overall, he calls it a successful weekend and hopes for more like it in the months ahead.
"We have a lot of new trainees out this weekend mentoring with veteran lifeguards, so it’s been an awesome opportunity for us to see good crowds, fairly calm water, which is always nice. But, we’re ready for anything and we’ve got a whole summer to find out what’s going to happen," he said.