PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – On Sunday, it was a picture-perfect evening on the water. A sunset cruise drifting through the pass near the east jetty rocks in Panama City Beach.
However, that calm was shattered when someone yelled, “Man overboard.”
“We’re heading out of the pass, and the captain notifies me that there’s a person overboard, not one of our people. Someone that had been ripped out from snorkeling. So, we did a man overboard procedure where I jumped in the water and performed a rescue operation. When I pulled her on the vessel, she was relieved. Her heartbeat was skyrocketing,” deckhand Avery Whaley said.
Beach safety officials say even though it’s fall, rip currents are still real and present danger.
“I feel that the secret’s out about Panama City Beach. We’ve turned into a year-round tourist destination. With that being said, everybody’s coming to the beach, and that puts more workload on the lifeguards trying to make as many public contacts and preventative actions as they can,” PCB Beach Safety Director Daryl Paul said.
Three people have drowned off Panama City Beach this year.
Safety crews say that in years past, many of the victims were the people who jumped in to help the person struggling.
“So if you’re ever caught in a rip current, stay calm, do not panic. Try to face shore, wave for help, swim parallel to shore. You should land on a sandbar. You’ll be able to walk right in if you see someone in a rip current struggling to swim. Do not take action upon yourself. Do not risk your own safety,” Paul said.
Officials also recommend staying near a lifeguard and signing up for daily beach flag alerts right to your phone.
“So, as compared to the numbers from previous seasons, our rescues are down significantly. Our public assists are down significantly, and our preventative actions are trending to exceed what we exceeded last year. But that’s all due to the hard work that these lifeguards have put in every day,” Paul added.
So whether it’s summer or fall, calm waters or crashing waves, always check the flags and don’t swim unattended.
To sign up for daily beach flag text alerts, you can text PCBFLAGS to 888-777.
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