COCOA BEACH, Fla. — Tropical Storm Ana is churning up high rip tides in the Carolinas, but it’s not causing any issues for beachgoers in central Florida.
The calm weather is bringing large crowds to Brevard County for fun in the sun.
Yellow flags could be seen along Cocoa Beach, warning swimmers that there is a slight risk of rip currents.
“We’ve had rip currents that were invisible on an almost calm day and we’ve had 20-30 rescues on a day like that,” said Beach Patrol Capt. Michael Curphey.
Al Campbell brought his baby daughter to the beach for the first time Saturday.
“We’re not going to go that far out so it’s no big deal for us,” he said.
Campbell and his family sat next to the lifeguard stand, something Curphey suggests beachgoers do no matter the conditions.
“The safest thing today is stay within 100 yard of the shore and just swim as close as you can to a lifeguard stand, he said.
Ross Moore also brought the family to the beach.
“We looked ahead in advance, looked like the waves aren’t too bad, so we felt confident we could have a good beach weekend,” Moore said.
Even with the water calm, Curphy said Beach Patrol stays busy.
“We’ve got a very high UV index today so hopefully people are staying hydrated while they’re drinking alcohol. That’s something we run into a lot,” he said.
Curphy said there were a couple medical calls on the beach, but nothing water-related.
Lifeguards said they expect the amount of beachgoers to double on Sunday as people celebrate Mother’s Day.
Meanwhile in Volusia County, beach Safety has been flying red flags all say Saturday.
Lifeguards had to rescue 10 people from the water, but said it was nothing serious.
WFTV
