I feel soory for NO ONE who ignore beach warning flags

[iceangel]

Purposely ignoring the flags at that!!

http://pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pb ... 70326/1006


[[quote]]Red flags indicating dangerous surf were flying, and 10 lifeguards and Escambia County sheriff's deputies had been patrolling 8.3 miles of beach in an effort to keep people out of the rough water.

Dozens of people disregarded the warnings, West said.[end quote]

Hughes was one of those.

"One minute I'm standing -- next thing I was 50 yards out, getting tumbled on the bottom," Hughes said. "I hollered for help, but I couldn't stay up. I was going under for the last time when I felt an arm grab me."

"I know what the red flags mean, but I just wanted to get out and wade in the Gulf," Hughes said. "Take it from someone who knows better now. When there's a red flag, you stay out of that water." [/b][[end quote]][/b]

[GulfHills]

They're stuck on stupid!

[WeatherEmperor]

ouch.

<RICKY>

[susan]

I was in Panama City a week after Dennis and while Emily was churning in the GOM..The hotel we stayed at was on the beach and had a couple red flags posted. Did that stop the idiots from going out into the water?? NO WAY...At least one person drowned and they had to drag others out of the water....

[greeng13]

I was in Panama City a week after Dennis and while Emily was churning in the GOM..The hotel we stayed at was on the beach and had a couple red flags posted. Did that stop the idiots from going out into the water?? NO WAY...At least one person drowned and they had to drag others out of the water....

i also post on a fishing website in the charleston area and this guy there has a quote at the end of every post that reads:

"The problem with America is stupidity. Now I'm not saying we need capital punishment for idiots but just remove the warning labels and let the problem solve itself"

or something to that effect.

[susan]

That is funny

[mikemiller18]

I am guilty myself of going out. Before Katrina and Rita hit south florida, I went out. Definitely fun but I could see how you can get sucked in easily. Basically the energy from the waves building up get more frequent, and as it gets deeper it gets harder to get your breath.

[nicdeedoop]

ANOTHER MIRAMAR BEACH DROWNING SATURDAY
Walton County Sheriff’s Beach Unit pulled a swimmer from the Gulf who was in distress near Miramar Beach off of Scenic Gulf Drive. Dead at the scene was Ronald J. Hallquist of Walton, Ky. Hallquist had ignored the double red flags flying along the beach which indicate no one permitted in the water due to surf conditions (in this case, dangerous rip tides).

[O Town]

I totally agree with everything said, but I could so see my husband who was born and raised here like me, going to the beach alot, saying, I can handle it I know what I'm doing. I sure hope not, but I could see it. I think the older we get though the less daring he becomes. I know he is one of the guys that would go out in the hurricane surf to surf the waves when we were much younger. So I don't feel sorry for them, but god one of those idiots could be someone you love.

[arkess7]

yea you have to be just plain stupid to ignore the red flags......or a really good surfer.....but to go swimming???? what are people thinking??? duh!!! at least when your surfing you got a board

[TreasureIslandFLGal]

One point many are not making is that a whole lot of people have no idea what "2 red flags" mean. Especially on Florida Beaches or I'm sure across the gulf beaches as well, most people are transports from other areas or tourists. They head to the beach because they don't live near one normally. Locals often don't actually swim in the waters. They have pools or are aware of the abundance of Red Tide or other harmful agents in the waters. Its the tourists that flock to the beaches. It is often the tourists who are the last to hear about or be warned of any approaching storms too.
Occasionally the rip tide drownings are locals trying to surf, but usually it is a tourist or a newly transported northerner who doesn't know any better.
And 1 guard to a mile stretch of beach is not much. -it only takes a few minutes to arrive and take a quick dip... while the guard may be talking to someone else nearly a mile away. The beach is usually crowded with onlookers too that are "in the way" of the guard's eyes.
many beaches have no guards either.
Honestly, on my beach, I have never noticed any flags flying anywhere. Not sure where they are even located. I'm sure they are there somewhere, but I have never noticed them.

[nicdeedoop]

Here in Walton County deputies in F150's patrol the beaches daily warning people to get out of the water when red flags are flying. For the life of me I don't know why we can't fine these people who ignore the warnings. It is so frustrating for the deputies and rescue personnel. In the incident I referenced above, the deputy on patrol told me he had JUST warned that party of swimmers to get out of the water, he said he didn't get 5 minutes down the beach when the call came in. He said he's tired of having his life jeopardized because people are stubborn and think they can handle it. But the beach here is our $$ tree

[iceangel]

I have also heard that they give out pictures of the warning flags to the hotels/motels, conveince stores and even resturants.
This was in the Pensacola Beach area!

In my opinion, people simply have "no excuse"

[beachbum_al]

I don't know how many times I have been in Orange Beach and out of town guest are out in the water with their children despite the red flags flying up ahead along the beach way. There are signs in the condo's elevators stating what the red flag means. They talk about it on t.v.

I think they need to go arrest the parents that don't have much sense for child endangerment because they are risking their children's lives by letting them get in the water.

[iceangel]

I don't know how many times I have been in Orange Beach and out of town guest are out in the water with their children despite the red flags flying up ahead along the beach way. There are signs in the condo's elevators stating what the red flag means. They talk about it on t.v.

I think they need to go arrest the parents that don't have much sense for child endangerment because they are risking their children's lives by letting them get in the water.

I agree, some drastic measures need to be taken. They will thank people when their lives are saved!!

[Brent]

I don't feel sorry for them either.

[Brent]

They're stuck on stupid!

[iceangel]

They're stuck on stupid!

especially the surfers. staying out of the water should refer to the surfers too. I have cousin and their children who surf when ordered to stay out of the water and it makes me so mad!!! It may be fun to them but they are risking their lives...Idiotes

[cancunkid]

Here in Walton County deputies in F150's patrol the beaches daily warning people to get out of the water when red flags are flying. For the life of me I don't know why we can't fine these people who ignore the warnings. It is so frustrating for the deputies and rescue personnel. In the incident I referenced above, the deputy on patrol told me he had JUST warned that party of swimmers to get out of the water, he said he didn't get 5 minutes down the beach when the call came in. He said he's tired of having his life jeopardized because people are stubborn and think they can handle it. But the beach here is our $$ tree

Okay so why can't these people be fined? I know everyone says crap about my rights etc but this is kinda like those people without a helmet on their motorcycle only they are organ donars I don't know what drowning does to a body. The problem is risking your life fine.....risking the rescuers, not cool.

[yzerfan]

They're stuck on stupid!

especially the surfers. staying out of the water should refer to the surfers too. I have cousin and their children who surf when ordered to stay out of the water and it makes me so mad!!! It may be fun to them but they are risking their lives...Idiotes

As far as I'm concerned, the local surfers get a pass when it comes to red flags. Heck, there's actually a surfer exemption in my county's 'double red flags mean the beach is totally closed' ordinance that lets them in the water pretty much whenever they want to go. The local surfers know and respect the different water conditions, provide their own flotation devices, and save hundreds of lives in areas not covered by lifeguards. You never hear of surfers drownings in these parts.

Unlike the tourists. You hear so many stories of people who will say that they don't care if the red flags are up, they've paid for their week at the beach, so they're going to have their family go in the water even if they know they aren't supposed to. And then they go and get themselves into trouble in the water, and help may or may not get there in time.