Rip current danger rises for spring breakers along GA and SC coast

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - If you’re headed to the beach for spring break, you may want to think twice as high surf and dangerous rip current conditions move along the coast.

Beachgoers on Tybee Island watched rough surf crash onto the shoreline, with one spring breaker describing the water as “angry.”

“The waves look so very angry, like they look like they’ll hit you hard,” the spring breaker said.

The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory and warned of a dangerous rip current risk along portions of the coastline from South Carolina into Georgia, including Tybee Island. Even experienced water sports enthusiasts say the conditions are not for casual swimmers.

“Yeah, I don’t recommend getting in the waters in these conditions, unless you’re a very good swimmer,” wind surfer John Solitario said. “There’s been a lot of drownings out here over the years. Usually, it’s in bad conditions like this with the rip current risks.”

Rip currents can pull swimmers away from shore and into deeper water. Officials say breaking waves could reach five to seven feet in some areas, raising the danger for spring breakers and other visitors who decide to swim.

Spring breaker Lynnette Pindea said she has seen firsthand how dangerous rip currents can be, recalling a time her mother was caught in one.

“She got in the water and it started pulling her away and everybody was trying to get her, but then the rip current would like pull them away,” Pindea said. “And it wasn’t until an experienced surfer — which are the only people that should be out there when it’s that bad.”

The National Weather Service says people who are not strong swimmers should stay out of the water. If you do get caught in a rip current, officials recommend staying calm, floating, swimming parallel to the shoreline and signaling for help.

The bottom line: if you’re heading to the beach, check conditions before you go.