WILMINGTON, N.C.-
More than 100 people have been rescued this season from rip currents at Wrightsville Beach despite signs, red flags and announcements on public address systems warning of the danger.
"If someone talks about a shark, you wouldn't have a single person in the water," said Wrightsville Beach Fire Chief Frank Smith. "But people just don't take these rip current warnings seriously and they are really what's killing people in the water."
The rip currents are the product of the pull of the moon, strong easterly winds and a tropical system hovering near the Bahamas.
From June 20 through Tuesday, 76 people had been rescued from unexpected at Wrightsville Beach. So far this season, which runs April 1 through Oct. 31, 108 have been saved. By comparison, 122 were pulled from the water during all of the 2005 season.
People ignore the warnings, Smith said.
"I think that's been demonstrated by the numbers of rescues the last month," he said. "It's just been through the efforts by the rescue squad and surfers that we haven't had a fatality during these last days of severe conditions."
At Carolina Beach, 15 to 20 people were rescued from rip currents this past weekend, said Charles Smith, Ocean Rescue director. About 45 people have been rescued since April 1.
"We're tired," Charles Smith said. "It's been a busy week and we're gearing up for the Fourth and hopefully the ocean will be a little more relaxing for us."
Ron Benson, a 65-year-old math teacher and soccer coach from Chapel Hill, rescued four of those saved at Wrightsville Beach last week.
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," said Benson, who was surfing near Crystal Pier. "Once you've been a lifeguard, you can see people getting in trouble."
He rescued a grandmother and a young man June 21 and a two teens Saturday.
A tropical system and easterly wind pushed in lots of water, creating the high risk of rip currents. Those conditions have passed out of the area, said Michael Ross, meteorologist with National Weather Service in Wilmington. So the forecast is for calmer seas over the holiday weekend.
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Information from: The Star-News,
