MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — In a state with year-round tourism, recent drownings have caught the attention of the United States Lifesaving Association.
"The bigger the surf, the bigger the waves, the more dangerous the rip currents can be," Tom Gill, vice president of USLA, said. “We feel that if you are bringing people into your beaches, we think there should be a minimal level of safety provided and the number one way to do that on a beach is to put lifeguards out there.”
The issue, they said, are the beaches across Florida are without lifeguards.
Gill said that the cost of having a lifeguard stand, and employing it, varies across the state, based on the coverage size.
"We understand these budgetary issues, but we also understand the lifeguards, just putting them out there, can minimize your other first-responder agencies from having to respond to these things," he said. "We know it also brings a great cost, when you have to put out multiple fire engines, ambulances, police, and everyone else that has to respond to these situations, when there aren't lifeguards present."
Robert Namie said he sits on the unguarded side of Stuart Beach, because it's less crowded.
“I think there should be a lifeguard every hundred, maybe every 200 yards, or so,” he said.
This is a request we took to State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach.
“Maybe we need more lifeguards," she said. "I know that's a city issue, but it's something we as the state could assist with financial help with hopefully having more lifeguards, so that we don't have the same type of tragedy that we just experienced at the state.”
She's behind the Every Child A Swimmer bill that pushed for children to have swim lessons.
"It requires that we tell every parent who is coming in of a child who is entering a school, either in kindergarten or any subsequent grade, that it is important for them to give their children swimming lessons," said Berman. "So, we give them a list of where the lessons are available."
As for Florida beaches, Berman has one message.
“I think the message is please be careful, make sure you are in an area where the lifeguard is; check for the flags that are out,” Berman said.
"From your perspective how do you feel we're doing when it comes to beach safety here in the state of Florida?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
"I think certainly, because we have so many miles of beachlines, we're probably ahead of the rest of the United States, but we could always use improvement," said Berman. "I'm very sad to hear about the rip current drownings, both in our area and in the Florida panhandle, and I think we need to make sure people are educated, so they understand what to do in a rip current situation."
However, visitors, like Glenda Chandler from Missouri, are unaware of what the flags mean and have not heard of the recent rip current drownings.
"I think there does need to be more signage," she said.
Also, choose to stay on the guarded part of the beach.
“I think people need to know that these conditions are happening before they come,” Chandler said.
According to the United States Lifesaving Association, Florida is second to California in beach drowning deaths, and the vast majority are on unguarded beaches.
