Beachgoers are warned to watch out for deadly riptide this Memorial Day weekend

Creative Commons/Scott Smith

It's almost Memorial Day weekend and that means locals and visitors to Virginia Beach are already flocking to the beach. However, a recent storm over the Atlantic has lifeguards and Virginia Beach officials on edge. A high-risk warning for rip currents has been issued all over the Virginia and North Carolinia coasts. And already there are many incidents sprouting up at various beaches in Hampton Roads.

On Sunday alone, seventy-five people were reportedly rescued from the water after getting caught in the riptides. Chief Tom Gill of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service told reporters that for May, it was an "unusually busy" weekend and that last year 260 people were saved in the summer alone.

It was even reported today a 71-year-old Northern Virginia man named Dennis Kane nearly drowned as he was carried away by the tide while trying to spread his daughter's ashes at sea along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When the biodegradable urn didn't sink and Dennis waded into the waer to assist it, the current was too strong.

Adam Zboyovski was the heroic man who saved Kane's life and is in charge of administering beach rentals at the Corolla Light resort beach. When Adam reached Kane after finding a surfboard and paddling out to him, Adam said the poor man was in a "Deadman's float".

"You see that red flag, just go talk to the lifeguard," Chief Gil advises anyone who is hoping to flock to the beach this weekend. “Find out what the restrictions are. Find out what you should be doing to keep yourself safe. The other thing we’re seeing already, and we saw a number of them last year, is some serious spinal injuries.”

If you find yourself caught in a rip current, professoinals advice you stay calm and float above the water so you can be seen by a lifeguard. When the current grows weaker, swim parallel until you reach the shore but do not try to swim against the current.

Are you planning on going to the Virginia Beach oceanfront this weekend? If so, please stay safe!

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/vb-lifeguards-save-over-75-people-sunday-as-strong-rip-currents-impact-virginia-nc-coasts/

https://wtop.com/virginia/2021/05/lifeguards-pull-dozens-from-rip-currents-in-virginia-beach/

"Virginia Beach Pier" by Scott Smith (SRisonS) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/dangerous-rip-current-conditions-in-north-carolina-virginia-beach/ar-AAKiojY?ocid=uxbndlbing

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow