Tips to stay safe while swimming as search for missing swimmer in Kure Beach continues
KURE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — It’s been more than 24 hours since a swimmer went missing in the water at Kure Beach.
Even with news of the missing swimmer and an increased rip current risk, many people are still getting into the water and getting into trouble.
WWAY was at Kure Beach for less than an hour on Friday and in that time, 3 water rescues from rip currents occurred just north of the Kure Beach Pier, the same general area where the swimmer went missing on Thursday.
In total, there were 6 water rescues at Kure Beach by 5 pm Friday.
Kure Beach Ocean Rescue Head Guard Riley Williams said beachgoers need to stay vigilant and listen to lifeguards.
“They’re at the beach, they spend a lot of money so they want to keep swimming, but sometimes you have to listen to the lifeguard and what the flag color they have going,” Williams said. “When you walk out on the beach, look at the flag color. If its red, don’t go; if its yellow, just keep cautious; green, you’re good to go.”
Dan Lynch is visiting from Raleigh and saw one of Friday’s rescues.
“Well, you just, you definitely feel apprehensive, you know its risky, especially, it doesn’t seem to be too, doesn’t seem to be rough today but you don’t know when the rip is going to happen,” Lynch said. “So but to see that, it definitely puts it in your mind not to go out too far.”
Lynch also saw the search for the missing swimmer on Thursday and said it definitely has him thinking twice about getting into the water.
“And they were pulling people out of the water,” Lynch said. “And lifeguards were swimming, looking in a line, basically skimming the beach, the whole beach area. But I had heard, cause the family was here earlier, and they said that the guy was, waved his hands a little bit and then he was gone. They didn’t see him anymore, so and the lifeguards went in and they, that was the last time they saw them.” “And I’m sure that’s, that’s far more scary.” “Oh, absolutely, and to today, it leads, we know what happened yesterday so its even more apprehensive when you see more rescues happening today.”
The National Weather Service said there were 79 rip current rescues in New Hanover County Friday, with 60 at Wrightsville and 13 at Carolina Beach.
The search for the missing swimmer involved land and water searches Friday, with underwater sonar support provided by the Sunny Point Fire Department, but water searches were suspended Friday evening.
Land searches will continue through the weekend.
