As summer season approaches, safety officials warn people about rip currents

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY)–As summer crowds return to beaches across the Cape Fear region, safety officials are reminding beachgoers about the dangers of rip currents following a series of rescues and missing swimmer incidents along the coast.

In recent weeks, several high-profile water emergencies have drawn attention to ocean safety.

At Wrightsville Beach, UNCW women’s basketball coach Nicole Woods was rescued by three friends and members of the ocean rescue team after experiencing distress in the water while attempting to help her nephew.

In North Topsail Beach, Marquest Andre Page Jr. remains missing after witnesses said he entered the water to help a child.

Meanwhile, search efforts continue for a swimmer reported missing off Figure Eight Island earlier this month.

While the circumstances surrounding each incident are different, officials say rip currents remain one of the most dangerous hazards for swimmers along the North Carolina coast.

“It’s not necessarily pulling you under. It’s pulling you away from the shore,” said Brandon Locklear, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

According to Locklear, rip currents can form even on sunny, seemingly calm beach days. Strong winds and waves moving toward shore can create narrow channels of fast-moving water that carry swimmers away from the beach.

Ocean rescue crews say they have already seen an increase in dangerous conditions this season.

“The rip currents that we’re seeing are very, very strong,” said Shawn Kelly, captain of Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue. “They seem to be almost like permanent structures. They’re in the same spots every day, some of the same areas.”

Kelly said Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue has responded to about 125 rescues so far this season, a number he says is well above where the department was at this point last year.

Officials in Wrightsville Beach have also reported dozens of rescues since Memorial Day weekend and are reportedly working with UNCW on a research project aimed at better understanding rip currents and improving beach safety.

Safety experts say anyone caught in a rip current should remain calm, avoid swimming directly against the current, and instead swim parallel to the shoreline while signaling for help.

“Try to be calm. I know that’s hard to do, but float it out, relax, wait for help,” Kelly said. “If you try to swim, don’t swim against it. Swim parallel to shore and definitely flag down a lifeguard.”

Officials also encourage beachgoers to swim near lifeguard stands, pay attention to warning flags and posted beach conditions, and never enter the water alone.