Amid 4 deaths in Panama City, Destin beach safety says people aren't heeding warnings

While four people have died in rough surf in the past week at neighboring Panama City Beach, Destin beach safety has been busy as well with lifeguards rescuing 30 from the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the past six days. 

“So many rescues … we’ve had so many rescues,” Destin Beach Safety Director Joe D’Agostino said Friday morning. 

From June 17 to June 22, Destin lifeguards pulled 30 people from the Gulf of Mexico. The Destin lifeguards cover seven miles of beach from Capt. Dave’s on the Gulf Restaurant at the Okaloosa/Walton County line to the east jetties near the Marler Bridge. 

The Destin guards have also done 28,000 preventative actions during the same time frame. 

“That means we’ve said, 'here’s a rip, don’t go in it,'” D’Agostino said. 

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And the people are not heeding the warnings. 

“The people are completely unruly. They are not listening,” D’Agostino said. 

“We’re doing the best we can to keep them safe and still be patient and to talk to every single person,” he said, noting they are running into a lot of the same situations as the beach safety division in Panama City Beach. 

“I paid a whole bunch of money, I’m getting in the water no matter what,” he said. 

Since the first week of March, Destin lifeguards have done 168,875 preventative actions with roughly 25% of those coming in the past 10 days. 

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“And we’ve rescued 87 people to date,” he said. 

“And 100% of every rescue we’ve made has been because of rip currents,” D’Agostino said. 

He also said that 100% of the people are going to do what they want to do. 

“We’ve had very minimal compliance even when we fly double red flags,” he said. Double red flags indicate highly dangerous surf conditions.

And in the past few weeks there have been a lot of red flags flying with the recent storms that have come through the area. 

“When the wind blows, waves get big, that’s just how it goes,” D’Agostino said. 

As for preventative actions, D’Agostino explained that they will drive up to 50 people in a rip current area and say, "Hey that’s a rip current, you need to get out."

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“They’ll get out or pretend to listen and as soon as we drive away, they’ll get back in and we do that all day long. With those preventative actions, sometimes we are telling the same person four and five times not to do what they are doing,” he said. 

“To say we’ve been busy is an understatement,” D’Agostino said. 

Destin lifeguards are on the beach from 8:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. 

“I’d like to remind everybody out there, locals and visitors, we’re not the fun police. We don’t want to ruin your vacation; we just want to see you go home alive. 

“We’re lifeguards. We don’t want to work, but sometimes we have to,” he said. 

Okaloosa Island

As for Okaloosa Island, to the west of Destin, they’ve had a “moderate” week, according to Rich Huffnagle, chief of beach safety for Okaloosa Island, which covers about four miles of beach. 

“We’re up for four rescues this week,” Huffnagle said Friday. 

Huffnagle said they make a “huge effort,” especially when it’s red or double red flags, to make 100% contact with the beachgoers. 

He said on an average day, the lifeguards may make 1,500 to 1,800 contacts by the end of the day. 

“We really try to do that and that really mitigates the rescues that we have to perform. The lifeguards do just a bang-up job,” he said.  

Huffnagle said that 90% of the rescues they make on high surf days are caused by rip currents. 

“Most people when they get in a rip current, they feel themselves getting pulled away from shore and tend to panic and that’s the problem. That’s what puts people in jeopardy more than anything, is the panic,” Huffnagle said. 

As for compliance when they make contacts on the beach, Huffnagle said they get some push back, but that’s not typical. 

“The typical person just needs intervention, whether a preventative action or educational. We like to hit them up educationally before they enter the water,” Huffnagle said. 

“If we see somebody on a red flag, near a ripper, we might just whistle at them and pull them out. 'Hey, you are a little close to a rip current, let's stay away,'” he added. 

Huffnagle said they mark the rips on the beach. 

“We’re pretty successful … we gain nearly 90% compliance,” Huffnagle said. 

For example, he said if they have 5,000 to 7,000 on the beach, there may be 10 or 15 that are not compliant with what they have going on. 

“The main thing is if people don’t understand what’s going on, don’t get in. Even if you’re 50%, don’t do it. When in doubt, don’t go,” Huffnagle said.