DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Thousands of people spent their Memorial Day weekend soaking up the sun and surf at Florida’s beaches.
Volusia beach safety had extra lifeguards working to make sure those beachgoers stayed safe.
As far as recues go, this holiday weekend was a slow one.
Beach safety made 35 rescues Saturday and Sunday combined. Some holiday weekends can se hundreds of rescues in a day.
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer. That means big crowds at the beaches. Those busy days aren’t relaxing for the people tasked with patrolling it.
From Daytona Beach’s big, red towers to the bright red trucks, lifeguards could be seen working every section of it.
“We actually have more than double our staff this year than from last year,” said Capt. Stephen Canfield.
Canfield said more than 80 lifeguards worked at various Volusia County beaches Monday. He said they often make the most recues when ocean conditions are calm.
While he said that wasn’t the case this year, he’s still pushing the same message going into the busy summer months that even if the water looks calm, make sure to swim in front of a staffed lifeguard tower.
He aid if you get caught in an undertow or get pulled underneath or in a rip current, try to swim parallel to the shore.
Beachgoers said the lifeguards’ presence gave them peace of mind as they enjoyed the sane and surf.
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