Water rescues spike as thousands flock to Wrightsville Beach for holiday

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Monday marked the end of a long holiday weekend, and many spent the day at area beaches despite the surf being more dangerous than usual.

Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Captain Sam Proffitt says an increase in rip currents led to dozens to water rescues.

“We’ve had about approximately 44 rip current-related rescues and probably about a dozen or so medicals,” he said.

Proffitt says luckily no one had to be transported to the hospital. He also emphasizes the importance of knowing what to do if you get caught in a rip.

“Number one thing is don’t panic, it’s not going to take you out very far,” Proffitt said. “And then once the rip current does reside a little bit, just make sure you swim parallel to the shore.”

Some holiday visitors say they weren’t aware of the increased risk or the spike in rescues.

“I’ve seen a few whistles being blown at kids and stuff for being too close to the pier, but other than that nothing crazy,” said Jay Hussey, visiting from Raleigh. “Everybody’s being pretty smart.”

“I’ve heard some whistling, but no rescues that I’ve seen,” said Madison Goldberg, whose family recently moved to the area.

Some visitors say the feel the crowds were smaller than in years past.

“I think there’s still a good amount of people still scared of COVID, so we had no traffic coming up, we actually found a parking spot that was very close to the beach,” said Raleigh resident Mark Anderson.

However not everyone had that same experience.

“It’s crowded!” said Fayetteville resident Dvonia Ouzts. “We searched for where to park for like 15 minutes.”

“It’s pretty crowded, but we found our spot and we’ve just been laying and hanging out and people watching is the best part,” Goldberg said.

Although it was a relaxation day for many, some wanted to place a special emphasis on the reason they could spend it at the beach.

“I’m thankful for all the people who served, served and risked their lives for us,” Logan Hawthorne said. “So that we could be able to go out here and do this,” his friend James Holland added.

You can find more information about Wrightsville Beach about Ocean Rescue and rip current safety here.