Posted on 06/28/2023 5:09:11 AM PDT by devane617
A Florida sheriff ripped into beachgoers for ignoring warnings of deadly water conditions after the Florida Panhandle experienced nearly a dozen deadly drownings, including former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, over the last two weeks.
Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said he was infuriated with the unnecessary deaths after he had to watch his deputies rescue strangers who disregarded the warnings.
“I’m beyond frustrated at the situation that we have with tragic and unnecessary deaths in the Gulf,” Ford wrote on Facebook. “I have watched while deputies, firefighters, and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on Father’s Day.”
Panama City Beach, a resort town located in the south end of Bay County on the Gulf of Mexico, has been designated the deadliest beach in the US this year with seven deaths, all of which happened in the month of June.
More than 60 people have died from drowning in the United States this year; last year’s total was 69, according to USA Today.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It varies. Can be further than your swimming strength allows
Exactly. The problem is people panic.
I got caught in a rip tide at the Manhattan Beach in California once, and I started to panic at first then I realized what was happening and started swimming parallel to the beach and was able to get out of the rip tide in about 100 yards. Scary, I tell you.
Until you aren’t being taken out to sea.
Well, this is obviously caused by man-made climate change./sarc
So sad that the stupidity (also caused by climate change?/sarc) is so prevalent.
Where I swim in the ocean you can walk during low tide and it barely gets to your waist in high tide :)
http://www.brewsteroyster.com/
I floated my way out of one off the coast of Maryland. It was dumb luck, that I floated out. I was on a little one person raft. SO that helped.
actually just let it pull you out and it will eventually allow easier swimming ... even trying to swim parallel to the beach can exhaust some people.
It’s just a panic that set in with the velocity and force of the water going out.
> There is so little effort needed, once you can do these things.
Back in my water polo days I was a good swimmer but had so little body fat that if I exhaled I’d slowly sink. Had to have lungs full to stay afloat ;-)
Beachgoers for ignoring riptide warnings shark full goes to another beach for next meal.
If you keep your head, it’s relatively easy to swim out of a rip. Panic kills in a rip.
They’re limited in size, but there’s no formula. Swim until you’re out of it. The key is to remain calm, even semi-calm.
Body surfers are great fans of rips; saves them energy getting out to the break.
STAY OUT OF WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE
````````````````````````````````````````
Fish fornicate in it!
You do have to breathe shallowly, I do agree.
It is part of becoming comfortable with what is needed, and, yes, that’s a real threat.
Suprisingly, many swimmers have never learned to float properly
`````````````````````````````````````
My adult son told me that knowledge saved his life.
“Build a reef. Fix stupid-doable. A bit expensive though.”
No, it is not “stupid-doable”. It is a childish response to a natural issue. That beach is over 150 miles long. We gotta stop with the protecting stupid people from themselves crap and destroying everything doing it.
150 feet.
‘A Florida sheriff ripped into beachgoers for ignoring warnings of deadly water conditions...’
if you allow the cops and other authoritarians to define ‘deadly water conditions’, then you are ging to end up in the situation I did on the outer banks during a hurricane watch...I was standing in water up to mid shin, and some asshole cop comes up to me and snarls to get out of the water, and got all red in the face and threatened to throw me off the beach when I pointed out I was no more than 20 feet from the tideline...
his money line...? ‘Think of the example you’re setting for the kids...’
‘Beachgoers for ignoring riptide warnings shark full goes to another beach for next meal.’
is that haiku...?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.