Relatively quiet summer on Coligny Beach nears end with busy Labor Day weekend

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - For many, Labor Day marks the ceremonial end of the summer season, and thousands of beachgoers chose to spend the holiday soaking up one last day of sun on the sands of Hilton Head Island’s Coligny Beach.

Despite some rain attempting to interfere with holiday plans, the crowds remained strong.

Visitors from all over, including Texas and nearby Savannah, packed the shoreline to document the final official weekend of the summer.

“We were one of the first ones out here this morning, but as time has progressed, it has just built up, and there are really a lot of people out here this weekend,” Kenneth Romine said.

Cedrick Lanier, visiting from Savannah, watched his family enjoy the water.

“Looks like a lot of people are out here having fun. I mean, he just ran through the water, so you can’t go wrong with that,” Lanier said.

A Relatively Quiet Summer

For Shore Beach Services, the organization responsible for monitoring most of Hilton Head Island’s beaches, the summer has been relatively quiet and free of major incidents.

“We’ve still got to be vigilant, but definitely after Labor Day we feel happy to get through the bulk of the season for sure,” Mike Wagner said.

While lifeguards handled their standard share of dehydration scares, stingray stings, and jellyfish sightings, officials credit the lack of major emergencies to beachgoers being more proactive and prepared.

“We got a cooler full of water. His mom just put a bunch of sun tan lotion on him and everything to prevent sunburn,” Lanier noted, highlighting the focus on safety. “We are just going to let him run until he gets sleepy.”

To combat the intense summer heat, lifeguards regularly patrolled the 13.5 miles of beach under their watch, checking for signs of dehydration and calling first responders when necessary. Over the last month, purple flags—indicating hazardous marine life like jellyfish or stingrays—flew more frequently, but stings remained manageable.

The Year of the Animal Rescue

Aside from typical medical calls, Wagner noted that 2026 became “the year of the animal rescue” for the Coligny Beach lifeguard crews.

In one instance, lifeguards had to rescue a dog that swam out too far and lost its bearings while chasing birds.

In another unusual rescue, a lifeguard intervened to save a baby sea turtle after a seagull scooped it up from the sand.

“There’s probably that brief second of hesitancy, ‘What do I do with a dog?’” Wagner said of his crew’s adaptability. “But they are ready to go and ready to jump in any kind of action they can get in. It’s not like, ‘Hey, this isn’t part of our job.’ They just say, ‘Yeah, let’s figure out how to get it done.’”

Looking ahead to fall

While Labor Day may represent the end of the traditional vacation season, local officials say the beach crowds won’t disappear overnight.

Wagner noted that depending on the weather, Coligny Beach could remain busy all the way through Halloween.

Starting on Tuesday, September 8, through the remainder of September, dogs will be allowed on a leash from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on a leash or under voice control from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.

From October through March, dogs are allowed on the beach at any time, on a leash or under positive voice control.