19-year-old rescued from rip current, double red flags in place at Georgia beach

Tybee Island Ocean Rescue is reminding visitors to stay out of the water if they see double red flags after they rescued a man from the water over the weekend.

The double red flags have been in place since Thursday morning.

“Your safety is our priority — always check in with your lifeguards and respect the ocean’s power,” rescue officials said.

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On Saturday, Tybee Island Ocean Rescue team got a call about a paddle boarder stuck in a marsh on Little Tybee. On their way to check on the paddleboarder, rescuers found another victim, a 19-year-old, caught in a rip current near the 18th Street jetty.

The rip current pulled the young man about 300 yards out into the water. Several lifeguards rushed to the victim’s side and brought him back to shore with a rescue board.

“The victim, exhausted, had a brief loss of consciousness in the water, swallowed and aspirated water, and would have possibly not survived without the coordinated efforts of our team,” the department said.

Tybee Island Ocean Rescue said Saturday’s close call should be a reminder to listen to the warnings.

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