VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — An excessive heat warning did not keep people away from the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Friday.
Lifeguards were fully staffed and ready to respond to emergencies in the water, on the sand or on the boardwalk.
"It's a good crowd today," said Kontona Bobo, who is visiting from Mississippi.
At the Oceanfront, heat index values hovered in the triple digits on Thursday and Friday.
"The heat felt pretty intense [Thursday]. I'm not used to this, being from Pittsburgh," said Jessica Platt, a vacationer.
An excessive heat warning is posted for Saturday, too.
"It's hotter than Mississippi, but then again, we've got something to cool us off," said vacationer Imogene Carter.
"Stay in the shade as much as possible. You can go into the water to cool your body off, but that does not hydrate you. So, you still must hydrate," said Tom Gill, chief of Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service.
Gill referred to water intake for keeping hydrated and suggested staying away from alcohol.
Lifeguards also want people to remember their sunscreen and keep the hot sand or pavement in mind.
"By far the most extreme heat we've had all summer. It's dangerous for those unprepared," Gill warned.
Guards helped one person who became unconscious on the boardwalk Thursday likely because of the excessive heat, Gill added. He said signs to watch out for include fatigue, cramping, dizziness and nausea.
"Just overall uncomfortable and then we can see somebody having a single episode or passing out, whether it'd be on the beach or the boardwalk," he said.
In the middle of this heat wave, Gill said someone is also assigned specifically to run water to the guards at each stand. Gill staffed 41 stands in the Resort Area, six stands at Croatan and two on 57th Street on Friday.
"People are showing up to work as extras. We actually had more people than we needed, so we added more relief. We're giving more breaks to guards on the stands today than we normally would," Gill said.