Beach Safety Tips

We live in a beach town filled with tourists and now that summer is upon us the beaches are filled with beachgoers, young and old. Some families have never been to the beach and are excited to see the ocean. They run down with little ones in tow, put their chairs in the sand and run into the ocean. They are having fun riding the waves and not realizing they may walk out of of the ocean in a totally different location than where they entered. Before going to the beach especially with little ones, here are some beach safety tips for you and your children.

This past Memorial Day in Myrtle Beach, 19 children went missing on the beach because they were unfamiliar with the area they started from. Families need to make a plan before they even get their feet in the sand.

Beach Safety Tips

When you set up your spot on the beach, tie bright colored ribbons on your chairs so the location will be easier to spot for little ones.

If the family gets separated, find a designated meeting location, something that stands out to young children. In Myrtle Beach there is a huge Sky Wheel that’s a good location if nearby. Other locations could be a flag pole, life guard stand or other permanent structures that stands out.

Have a water watcher at all times when children are in the water to keep an eye on the group. This should be their only job, watch the children, not to swim and play in the water.

Instruct your child or children if they can’t locate the family go to either a life guard or beach patrol officer if they can’t find the designated meeting place.

Keep young children in knee deep water, if they happen to get out too far and get in a rip current that is very dangerous.

Take a family photo when you get to the beach for a great memory picture but also to be able to show the police if by chance your child/children got separated from you.

Thankfully all 19 children that went missing were reunited safely with their families. Perhaps if the families had beach safety tips in place before going on a trip to the beach they would have had a much more fun time. I can only imagine the worry these families must have been going through if even for a few minutes not knowing where their children were and if they were safe. When someone goes missing it takes team effort from the lifeguards, fire ocean rescue, beach patrol and the local police department and even strangers on the beach. Safety is number one priority for all of them.

Speaking of safety beach tips, this is a blog I wrote a few years ago about Rip Current Warnings. Before going in the ocean make sure you are familiar with rip currents and what to do if you are caught in one.

I hope these safety beach tips can keep a family together while having a fun day at the beach. These tips are also good if you have elderly people with you at the beach. They may decide to take a short stroll on the beach and get totally confused and lose their sense of direction. We need to watch out for everyone, young and old so all families can have a fun time and be safe.