VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — More than 80 people are safe after being rescued by lifeguards over the weekend at various Volusia County beaches, news outlets report.
According to WESH-TV, officials reported 85 people were rescued, including 62 on Friday, 14 on Saturday and nine on Sunday. This was reportedly due to dangerous rip currents.
"We went into Friday with very hazardous rip current conditions. The weather was pretty decent, and we had big crowds on the beach this weekend," Interim Volusia County Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs said in a statement to WESH.
Malphurs told the outlet that Volusia County Beach Safety has rescued around 700 people dating back to March. She explains these rescues stem from people losing their footing while in the water, which leads to being swept out by a current.
"So, make sure you don’t panic, and that rip current is not going to pull you underwater — it’s just going to pull you into deeper water," Malphurs said in a statement.
When asked about the lifeguards on duty, Malphurs told the news station that the county's staff are working harder than ever, despite a nationwide shortage.
"We do some type of physical training every day to make sure they are in shape and ready for weekends like this," she told the outlet.
In a post on Facebook, the official Volusia County Beaches page gave this advice if you get caught in a rip current:
"Swim parallel to shore out of the current - then return to shore. If unable to return to shore, call or wave for help."
Officials also tell WESH beachgoers that they can use the Volusia Beaches app to locate staffed lifeguard towers and find diagrams that further explain rip currents.