Drowning prevention: PCB might skip warnings, just punish double red flag violators

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Local leaders are eyeing a stricter approach to beach safety enforcement.

In a meeting on Thursday, Panama City Beach City Council members approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow police and code enforcement officers to ticket without warning beachgoers who blatantly enter the Gulf of Mexico under double-red-flag conditions.

Under the city's current ruling, they must be ordered to get out at least once before being cited.

"If it's obvious that it was double-red flags, and it was clear the person should have known, we don't have to warn them, and then observe them disobey the warning in order to ticket them," Mayor Stuart Tettemer said. "With the way our ordinance was written, it was just a burden to enforce. You would have to have someone go and warn the person, and then observe that they disobeyed it.

"You'd have to still be there, and when we're enforcing the double reds, we don't have time to wait around to make sure all the people we ask to get out, get out."

USA TODAY coverage: Panama City Beach cracks down on risky swimming after deadly rip current drownings

The first reading comes in the wake of seven Panama city area beach drownings so far this year, as well as nine in 2023. Hundreds also have already been ticketed in 2024 for swimming double red — an offense that warrants up to a $500 fine.

Of this year's drownings, 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 Bay County beaches , with three on June 21 near Beach Access 12, and one on June 23 near Beach Access 96.

All of the drowning victims from this year and last year were tourists who died after getting caught in a rip current, or a fast-moving current created by channels in sandbars that causes water to funnel faster out into deeper waters.

The strength of these currents is what local lifeguards use to determine beach flag colors. Common 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.

Beach safety: Panama City Beach sees dip in beach rescues thanks to proactive lifeguards

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

According to Tettemer, the second reading of the ordinance is slated for the PCB City Council meeting on Aug. 8.

To sign up for daily text alerts on local beach flag conditions, text "PCBFLAGS" to 888777.

"If they should have known that there were double-red (flags), and they're in the water ... then they can be ticketed directly," he said. "They don't have to be instructed to get out. If it's double red, then they can be ticketed without being told they have to get out first."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Drowning prevention: PCB might skip warnings, just punish double red flag violators