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| Beach Safety Tips, Rules & Regulations |
| For a safe and trouble-free vacation, please know and obey the following rules & regulations: | |
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What do I do if...? | |
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What do I do if... I get stuck in a rip current? Stay calm! The biggest killer is panic, not the rip current itself! Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim in. For more information about rip currents, click here. What do I do if... I lose my child? It happens more often than any parent would like to admit, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and maintain a level head. Locate a lifeguard and calmly tell him or her what happened. Our lifeguards use radios to communicate with one another, and can relay descriptions up and down the beach. Stay with that lifeguard; he or she has become your liason with all other rescue personnel. Additional information may also be needed from you. Know that every effort is being made to locate your child. As soon as you have reported the situation to a lifeguard, send someone from your family back to the house, if it is within walking distance, to determine if the child is there or not. To prevent or minimize such a situation from happening, parents should discuss with their children before hand about beach safety and the importance of maintaining visual contact with one another. Make sure everyone knows where they are staying, including house name. Put a bracelet on smaller children with all pertinent contact information. What do I do if... I see a shark? Well, the thing NOT to do would be to yell "SHARK!" like they do in the movies. That’s like yelling "FIRE!" in a movie theatre. You would do nothing but incite panic. In all probablity, it is not a shark. It could be a ray, a dolphin, a floating piece of debris, etc. If you think you see a shark, you should locate a lifeguard and calmly relay the location of your sighting and a detailed description of what you saw. That lifeguard will contact the appropriate people and they will determine what action should be taken. Also, please keep in mind that sharks do not like to eat humans. You have a greater chance of getting struck by lightening AND winning the lottery than you do of getting bitten by a shark! For more information, click here. What do I do if... I get stung by a jelly fish? A normal reaction to a jellyfish sting is red welts and sometimes some itching or stinging. Unless you are experiencing difficulty breathing or breaking out in hives all over your body, your reaction is typical and the best thing to do is apply heat, and/or ammonia to break down the proteins in the venom. Do not scrub the sting with sand. You are only agitating the stingers. If you do experience any difficulty breathing or any other adverse reaction, contact a lifeguard immediately. What do I do if... I see the red flags flying? Red flags on the beach means that ocean conditions are such that it is considered unsafe and the risk too high for the average to be in the water. Red flags are posted for your safety; and if your personal safety is not sufficient enough reason to obey these warnings, then remember that it is also against the law. There is one exception to this rule: A surfer, who is attached by leash to a fiberglass surf board of at least 5 feet in length and has at least one fin, may enter the water. **FYI: Most rental surf boards are not made of fiberglass, and therefore do NOT meet this exception to the rule. For more information, click here. |
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| SEAL Program | Beach Safety | Stand Locations | Currituck Sound Operations |
| Lifeguard Olympics | Employment Opportunities | Contact Us! |
| Home | Emergency Services | Fire Services | Ocean Rescue | Photo Gallery |
| This page was last updated: 22 September 2007 |