Dangerous currents kill 10 on beaches in Florida and Alabama

A Georgia firefighter and two parents who drowned while trying to save their children are among 10 recent victims of dangerous rip currents on Gulf of Mexico beaches that stretch along the northwestern fringe of Florida to Mobile, Alabama.

Many of the deaths occurred on double red flag days, which are posted at beach entrances and at lifeguard stations to warn bathers of the possibility of rip currents. Since mid-June, six deaths have been reported in the vicinity of the Panama City beach in Florida.

Nearby, in Destin, Fla., former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, 35, drowned Tuesday, but local officials said no rip currents were observed, and yellow flags for caution and caution were flying that day. no double red flag on that beach.

Three other people drowned off the Alabama coast between June 20 and 23, according to the Gulf Shores City Police Department.

The white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico are a draw for tourists, and as the long Independence Day weekend approaches, officials hope vacationers take extra precautions.

“I am extremely frustrated with the current situation where we have tragic and unnecessary deaths in the Gulf” of Mexico, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a Facebook post, accompanied by an aerial image of the deep trenches that dug currents on Panama City beach. “I have watched as officers, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on Father’s Day.”

Ford says his agents have been insulted as they try to warn visitors of the “deadly dangers” in the Gulf of Mexico.

He noted that his police officers have fined $500 for people they see in the water on days when there are double red flags.

“We don’t have the resources or the time to issue citations to every single person who goes into the water, but we do everything we can to use it as a deterrent against going into the water,” Ford said, explaining that an arrest is only warranted. after a second offense, unless the person resists police action.

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