For many years, the lifeguard towers along Florida’s Space Coast have been iconic symbols of security for beachgoers. However, this season, numerous towers are unmanned as Brevard County faces a shortage of 45 crucial lifeguard roles. This lack of staffing led to a tragic incident earlier this week when two individuals drowned while trying to rescue a child caught in a rip current.
Brevard County Ocean Rescue Chief Eisen Witcher expressed the challenges faced by the rescue team, stating, “We’re doing the best we can with what we have. We assess as much risk as possible. It’s not that we’re absent; we just can’t be everywhere at once.”
On Wednesday, emergency services were alerted to a distress call involving four individuals in the ocean at the well-frequented Cocoa Beach. Tragically, a 42-year-old man from Connecticut and a 34-year-old woman from Ohio were transported to the hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
The adults had entered the water to save a child, according to the Brevard County Fire Rescue. It remains unclear if there was a familial connection between the rescuers and the child, who survived the ordeal. However, Florida Today reported the woman was the child’s stepmother, while the man was a bystander.
Chief Witcher confirmed that the section of the beach where the tragic rip current incident occurred was not under lifeguard surveillance at the time.
Witcher said that the area where the rip current claimed the lives of two adults was not being guarded with lifeguards.
He said that they’ve been experiencing high surf, with waves from 6-8 feet tall.
“Conditions are starting to subside, making the ocean a lot more calm or appearing to look more calm. But those surf conditions have caused significant damage to the sandbars causing flash rip currents,” Witcher said.
An aerial view of beachgoers near the pier on July 29, 2023, in Cocoa Beach, Florida. (Paul Hennesy/Anadolu Agency)
According to the National Weather Center, the Florida coast – from south of Palm Coast to Miami – is identified as a high risk for rip currents.
“It’s very fast, it’s very unexpected, and you can lose your footing very quickly. We watch, we try to prevent that as much as we possibly can in our life-guarded areas. Outside of a life-guarded area, it’s very difficult for people from out of town or tourists to know or understand or what to do,” Witcher said.
Two people died in rip currents in Brevard County, Florida. (Getty Images)
The chief said that the nearest lifeguard was 3/4 of a mile away at the time of the emergency.
“Right now, we are actively recruiting for more lifeguards. We have been for the better part of two or three months now,” Witcher said, explaining that they have a tryout this weekend. “We’d like to see at least 45 more [lifeguards].
In situations where there is no nearby lifeguard, calling 911 is your best bet, he said.
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