Rip currents keep lifeguards busy on Memorial Day

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — High temperatures packed beaches this Memorial Day, and rip currents kept lifeguards busy.

According to reports from the National Weather Service, by late afternoon 10 rip current rescues had been reported at Wrightsville Beach with 10 more at Carolina Beach.

The area’s east-facing beaches were under a moderate rip current risk to start the day with a high risk farther up the coast.

There have already been several drownings along the North Carolina coast already this year, including seven along the state’s Crystal Coast. In April, a man’s body washed ashore at Carolina Beach.

If you are caught in a rip current, experts say don’t fight it by trying to swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the rip. A good rule of thumb is to swim to the next beach house.