SAnParis2

Just returned from spending a week in Holden Beach, NC. which I have frequented for 45+ years. While there we had a shark bite (although it had to be a little bugger), a gator in the Ocean (up near Wrightsville I believe, about a 6 footer) & @ least a dozen people who had to be pulled out of the ocean, One little girl (13) had to be life-flighted after she nearly drowned her rescuer, & a young lad (14) was never found. Most of this was in the MB, Pawley's Island area. I also heard someone was killed in a personal watercraft accident. Please pay attention to the warning flags, please pay attention to rip warnings & such, please teach your children to 'read' the ocean & pay attention to what is going on around them, please just pay attention. (Now stepping down off my soap-box)...

GeorgeW

Are you saying that a 14 year old was grabbed by a gator and is not yet found?

maryanne1

I live in this area, and yes, last week was a bad one for the rip tides where there were drowings as mentioned in the post above. Please pay attention to that ocean. It is wonderful,but it can be a heart breaking experience as well. I don't swim in the water anymore,but I do enjoy walking on the beach almost everyday.

nytraveler

Many people who are not native to the area have no idea of how treacherous the North Atlantic can be. I'm quite a strong swimmer but I will never go out beyond the breakers - since there are so many problems that can occur with a varieyt of tide effects that can just keep swepping you away fromthe beach. The ocean is fine for palying inthe waves - but swimming shuold be saved for the pool - unless someone is a truly strong swimmer and has checked the ocean conditinos carefully.

(One of my cousins was a lifeguard - a VERY strong swimmer and she went out past the breakers one day in the Hamptons and could NOT get back in - it took 3 large guys to manage to pull her into shore.)

cheryllj

I read about the missing boy earlier today. He is 13 and from MD and still hasn't been found.

It sounds like many children had to be rescued from the rip currents this weekend. People do tend to underestimate the strength of the currents.

SAnParis2

No, the boy was swept away, the gator was captured & relocated. The boy was never found. A girl was also life-flighted but I never saw an update on her condition.

GeorgeW

I understand now. The Topsail gator came ashore three blocks from where I rent in a month. Woops!

debsnj

Living in NJ and growing up in Brooklyn I grew up with lifeguards at every beach. The first time we went to the Outer Banks I was surprised that there wasn't a lifeguard at "our" beach. No one seemed upset by this. The second year by coincidence the street we were on did have a lifeguard and I found out that many beaches give up their lifeguards mid-August and that our section has one until October. I would NEVER depend on a lifeguard to spot a child in trouble because there is so much going on and so many swimmers. I try to watch my kids like a hawk and do my best. However, I know that if one of my kids gets in trouble the lifeguard is there for us. This one fact made my vacation that much more enjoyable. One year he pulled out one of our boys, Max was having a grand old time and didn't even know he was in trouble. The lifeguard went in for him because unbeknownst to all of us Max was in a riptide.

Another warning, when someone is drowning it is not always what you would imagine. One year our then 4 year old was in a neighbor's pool. All of sudden she started bobbing up and down. DH and I both jumped in and grabbed her out. When she was in trouble not a sound was heard from her. I agree with the poster, WATCH YOUR KIDS.

SAnParis2

Actually most of the issues were in MB where there are lifeguards. There have never been lifeguards on any of the islands we frequent, to the best of my knowledge Holden, Sunset nor OI has ever had lifeguards. Not sure about Oak Island which encompasses several beaches. In the time I have been going down there I have probably pulled out a half a dozen people myself, 4 were kids, 2 adults. Parents need to educate their kids (& themselves).

GoTravel

The riptides were horrible last week due to the disturbance off the southeastern coast.

If you get caught in a riptide, swim parallel to shore.

SAnParis2

I'm headed to the beach next weekend as I am sure many others are, probably not a bad reminder...best to all

suewoo

That gator in the ocean was lost. They don't live in salt water.

SAnParis2

I think they decided it was near the Intercoastal & likely got caught in the tide, as the water was pretty nasty during that time frame.

SAnParis2

Once again, a surfer who jumped in to help save three kids this weekend drowned after giving up his board to one of the kids. They found him about 45 minutes too late - http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/...trying-to.html

Maggi

Years and years ago, my family was vacationing in Atlantic City. My friend and I, both 8 years old had waded knee deep way out in the ocean and turned our backs on a huge wave coming in. That wave tumbled us over and over until, thankfully, we landed on the beach. Our parents didn't have a clue how potentially dangerous it was. I still think back on that time and realize it could have been all over for me then.

eyemom84

SAnParis2,
It has been a wicked few days on the crystal coast - 2 drownings and 10 rescues. Coast Guard helicopters constantly flying over- Be safe!