- Busy Summer season at the beach is quickly approaching
- Port Aransas responded to over 140 beach emergencies, 5 distressed swimmers, and 2 drownings in 2023
- Beachgoers must be aware of the flag system
- Je'Sani Smith Foundation educates the public about beach and rip current safety
With the summer months just around the corner, Port Aransas Surf Rescue, EMS, and Police departments are gearing up to respond to any potential beach-related emergencies. In 2023 alone, Port Aransas EMS responded to 141 emergency calls on the beach.
“We got dispatched for seven dispatched drowning calls. And upon arrival, you know the lifeguards may have helped them out, or bystanders, or they got out on their own, so five of the seven were distressed swimmers. And then we had two actual drownings," Port Aransas EMS Chief Daniel Johnson said.
One Coastal Bend mother, Kiwana Denson, lost her son in April 2019 to a rip current on Mustang Island and she does not want anyone else to also lose a family member to rip currents. Denson and her husband started the Je'Sani Smith Foundation to educate people about the risks and dangers of rip currents, and how to take the proper safety precautions on the beach.
“Be very conscientious about rip currents, especially around piers and jetties, and other structures. Because they prevail in those areas, regardless of the flag colors," Denson said.
In Nueces County, there is a five-color beach flag system in place. The first three flag colors are red yellow and green. Red signals extreme conditions, yellow signals to proceed with caution, and green signals that conditions are calm, but to still swim with care. These flag system rules are shown on various signs at the front of Port Aransas beaches.
Port Aransas EMS is expecting this summer to be just as busy, or maybe even busier, at the beach than previous summers.
"Our call volume is definitely still up. It’s up this year, roughly 20 percent just since January, so I can see it consistently being just as busy,” Johnson said.
Denson, along with the rest of the Je'Sani Smith Foundation, are adamant about educating the public about beach safety before the start of the busy beach season.
“No one should ever, ever, ever go to a beach, and not bring a family member back home," Denson said. "Let me tell you. When it happens to you, you don’t ever want to say would've, could've, should've. And so, for us, just giving that little bit of knowledge, just awareness, that’s what’s important to us."
For more information on free beach safety courses, visit the Je'Sani Smith Foundation website.
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