Beach safety avoids cuts in Myrtle Beach area

The ocean draws tourists like few other attractions, but that magnet can also be deadly, as emergency officials know all too well.

That's why, despite substantial budget cuts this year, funds for lifeguard service contracts remained largely intact, officials said last week.

Last year, at least 10 people died in drownings off area beaches, with three of the deaths occurring before the Fourth of July holiday, traditionally the busiest weekend of the season.

Officials on local beaches say lifeguards are operating this year much the same as they did last year, providing public safety education, water surveillance, ocean condition monitoring and helping find lost children.

As many as 80 lifeguards are stationed on the beach in Myrtle Beach and 67 are in North Myrtle Beach, according to beach services officials in those cities. Lifeguards also monitor the beach in unincorporated Horry County.

Myrtle Beach and Horry County have franchise agreements with separate area beach services that provide lifeguard and concession sales on their beaches. The city of North Myrtle Beach took control of its beach and lifeguard services in 2007.

"Some budgets have been tightened but not at the expense of beachgoer safety," said North Myrtle Beach spokeswoman Nicole Aiello. "The city has learned how to operate their beach endeavors more efficiently, but beach safety continues to be the most important element to the city and to city council members."

"Last year was an extremely dangerous summer - very active [for ocean rescues]," said Tom Gill, president of the South Atlantic region of the United States Lifesaving Association. "It hasn't been as busy as last summer. This summer has been a little bit calmer."

Fewer ocean-related deaths have occurred on the Grand Strand so far this year compared with last year's numbers.

An 87-year-old Maiden, N.C., man died after being rescued from the waters off North Myrtle Beach on June 14 after lifeguards had gone off-duty for the day. The autopsy didn't determine whether he died from drowning or another medical condition, Tamara Willard, Horry County deputy coroner, said last month.

A visiting pastor from Mississippi also died after being pulled from the ocean in Myrtle Beach June 10, but authorities later said his death was caused by a heart attack. And an Ocean Isle, N.C. boater remains missing after his empty boat washed ashore near 60th Avenue North late Thursday night.

Authorities suspended the search for Thomas "Andy" Richmond after combing an area the size of Rhode Island for about 48 hours, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mother Nature and education probably have had more to do with this year's lower numbers than any changes in safety procedures, officials said.

Area police and beach service officials don't attribute the change to an increased lifeguard presence or additional lifeguard training, but say factors such as calmer weather and public awareness might had the greatest influence on the decrease.

Weather conditions so far this year have created fewer problems than they did last year, when the area saw frequent increases in rip current strength, according to Wesley Cox, manager of Lack's Beach Service, which provides lifeguard service in Myrtle Beach from 30th Avenue South to the south end of Second Avenue Pier.

To ensure beach safety, North Myrtle Beach separated its lifeguard and beach services so officials could focus on the two entities individually, said Mark Horton, North Myrtle Beach's beach services manager.

Aiello said lifeguards concentrate solely on keeping beachgoers safe while beach service employees provide umbrellas, chairs and refreshments.

In Myrtle Beach, Lack's Beach Service has 27 lifeguard towers and requires that one in every seven is dedicated to lifeguarding only, so those guards aren't distracted by concession sales or umbrella and chair rental, Cox said.

"We want to be aware of surroundings and the condition of the water, make sure lifeguards and beach patrol are doing what they are supposed to do, try to be preventive on days when rip currents are out, and make sure people are dressed appropriately as clothes weigh you down in the water," said Myrtle Beach police beach patrol Sgt. Phillip Cain.

Gill said he is unaware of any major budget cuts regarding lifeguards in the South Atlantic region of the USLA, which includes Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and parts of Northeast Florida.

"In this region, officials realize the importance of beach safety," Gill said. "The goal is to have as many lifeguards as possible. It's important to keep them out there."