PCB has ticketed 210 people in 2024 for swimming in Gulf of Mexico during double red flags

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Despite a push to educate beachgoers on the dangers of the Gulf of Mexico, some still refuse to follow safety warnings about rip currents .

According to Capt. John Deegins of the Panama City Beach Police Department, 210 people have been ticketed so far this year in Panama City Beach for refusing to get out of the Gulf during double-red-flag conditions. This is 73 more than were issued during all of 2023.

Of this year's citations, 39 were issued by Beach Police and 171 were issued by Panama City Beach Code Enforcement.

"The manner in which we give out citations is (that) we have to give them a warning ... and if they refuse to obey, that's when they get a ticket," Deegins said. "When they come in, we get their information, and we fill out a civil citation and give them basically a time limit to make a payment for the fine, or elect a hearing.

"If they elect a hearing, a court date is scheduled."

The fine in PCB and Bay County for swimming double red is $500. However, if the recipient pays within 20 days, they're eligible for a 50% discount.

Common flag colors used in beach flag warning systems include a green flag for low hazard conditions, a yellow flag for medium hazard conditions, one red flag for high hazard conditions and two red flags for very dangerous conditions.

Panama City Beach and Bay County, however, never fly green flags because officials say beachgoers should always be cautious anytime they enter the Gulf.

Because flag colors are based rip currents and not wave heights, it can be upsetting for some beachgoers and tourists to be told to get out of the water under double-red flags, Sgt. Zachary Rose of the PCB Police Department said.

This is partly fueled by the fact that rip currents can be strong enough to warrant double-red flags, even if surf conditions appear calm from the shore.

"Typically when we tell people 'Hey, you can't be out in the water,' it's not the most well-received information," Rose said. "For the most part it's not that bad, at least with the initial warning. The citations, (however), are never very well received."

For Rose and Deegins, the goal of double-red citations is not to discourage people from visiting Panama City Beach, but to prevent beach drownings.

So far this year, seven people have drowned while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Bay County.

Three happened within the city limits of PCB. They were on March 27 near Beach Access 36, June 20 near Beach Access 54 and June 24 near Beach Access 54. The four others happened off unincorporated county beaches . Three were on June 21 near Beach Access 12, and was one on June 23 near Beach Access 96.

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The victims of all were tourists who entered the Gulf under single-red flag conditions and got caught in a rip current, or fast-moving currents created by channels in sandbars that funnels out into deeper waters.

"(Our) goal is to make sure that we keep everybody safe," Deegins said. "We don't want any of these drownings, so we work really hard to try and keep people out of that water when it's double-red flags."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: PCB has ticketed 210 people in 2024 for swimming in Gulf of Mexico during double red flags