Safety Information

Have
Fun!

But know the dangers
of the beach

Do Not Swim:
—   Alone.
—   In water more than waist deep. Stay in even shallower water if you can’t swim.
—   Outside marked swimming areas.
—   If you’re sick or tired.
—   If you’ve been using alcohol or drugs.
—   In boating or surfing areas.
—   During thunderstorms or strong wind.

Remember:
—   Stay near your children and watch them closely.
—   Be considerate of other swimmers.
—   Try to swim where lifeguards are on duty.
—   Keep safety and emergency supplies nearby:
      • Sunblock
      • Rubbing alcohol
      • Meat tenderizer
      • Antibacterial
         spray
      • Antibacterial      
         cream
      • Gauze/adhesive
         tape/band aids
      • Water shoes

For near-drownings:
—  Call an ambulance.
—  Get competent help for artificial respiration.
—  Turn the victim on his or her side.
—  Shade the victim.
—  Reassure the victim.

Ambulance Services for Texas Coastal Areas:
9-1-1

Recognize the Flags
     Some beaches along the Texas coast use a flag system to keep beachgoers informed about daily conditions. Learn the system — and what each flag means — before going into the water. These flags are flown from the lifeguard stands along the beachfront. The color code is:
Yellow — Indicates caution should be used when entering any body of water. This flag is flown for normal conditions to remind swimmers to stay alert.
Red — Flown when conditions are determined to be out of the ordinary, such as presence of strong wind, strong current or large surf. Adult swimmers should stay in water no more than waist deep and children should be kept along the surfline.
Blue — Indicates a potential problem with jellyfish, Portuguese man-o-war, stingrays or other marine life that could be a hazard for swimmers. Blue flags can be used in combination with other flags.

Learn to Swim
     Swimming is the number one recreational activity in Texas, which is not surprising, but it also accounts for nearly half of the water-related deaths in the state each year. There are some precautions that apply in any water. The most important should be obvious, but bears repeating.
     Humans can’t breathe water. Water may contain oxygen, but it’s not usable by the human respiratory system. If water covers your nose and mouth, and you are unable to surface to breathe air, you will suffocate. Suffocation by water is known as drowning. Your best insurance against drowning is learning to swim. If you can’t master the complete technique, at least learn to tread water so you can yell or wave your arms for attention should you find yourself in difficulty.
     Water doesn’t have to be deep to be dangerous. People drown in shallow water just as fast as they drown in deep water. Don’t overestimate your swimming ability. Even if you are an excellent swimmer, remember you shouldn’t try to swim as far in March as you could the previous September unless you have been swimming on a regular basis. Your body is out of condition and you may not be able to make it back to shore.
     Don’t rely on inflatables. Inner tubes, plastic air mattress and that puffed-up replica of Jaws may have a place, but it certainly isn’t in the open water of the Gulf. Too many times the unexpected happens — the inflatable springs a leak, you lose your balance or someone accidentally tips you over. Whatever the cause, the result is the same — you suddenly find yourself in water over your head with the inflatable out of reach. For a non-swimmer, this may prove fatal.
     Finally, when possible, swim where trained lifeguards are on duty. Swimming from unguarded beaches is not always dangerous; it only means you are more responsible for your own actions.

Rip Currents
     Rip currents (wrongly called “undertow”), the strong seaward flow of water along the bottom near shore, are well known to you if you swim in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a situation where the force of the surf coming in is equaled by the force of the water returning to the Gulf. Big waves equal strong returning water. These currents can sweep you into deep water fast. The rip current’s biggest dangers are its strength and suddenness, but by knowing what causes it and how it works, you’ll know what to do if one ever catches you.
     If many waves break one after another, the water collects on the beach faster than it can flow back out. Eventually so much water collects that it flows out in a fast, narrow current — the rip current — that cuts a channel in the bottom. Beyond the breakers the channel widens suddenly, and the current fans out and gets weaker.
     If you get caught by a rip current, do not try to swim straight for the shore. The strong current can make even the best swimmer tired — and tired is dangerous.
     You know that the current is narrow and dies out beyond the breakers. If it is weak, swim parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current, then swim ashore. If it is stronger, float with it until it dies out, then turn toward the shore.
     Strong rip currents form along groins, jetties and piers along the upper Texas coast, and the strong currents cut deep holes in the bottom there. Stay away — at least 100 feet. These areas are doubly dangerous.
     Most of the Texas Gulf has a long, gradually sloping bottom, which prevents the build-up of pounding surf. The mid to lower coast has less risk of rip currents occurring except in relation to a storm.

Littoral Drift
     A gentle, but powerful, current runs along the shore toward Louisiana most of the year. Some days the current is stronger than others. Every day it urges the swimmer or floater further down the beach and influences where the wader takes the next step. While the current is not overwhelming, it is a continual tug away from where the water was entered. Unless the person in the water pays close attention, he or she can drift a distance of several yards within a relatively short time. This separation will make it difficult for a potential rescuer to reach the victim should an accident occur. Urge all members of your group to stay in the safety zone in front of the camping area. Insist that small children do this. When in the water, regularly checking position against a stationary object on the beach will help the swimmer correct for the amount of drift.

Sand Bars and Holes
      Hidden deep spots in the surf are hazardous — especially for small children. Waves are powerful and dig holes in the bottom near shore that may be several yards wide. They can form at any water depth, so you may step into one while wading in very shallow water.
     When you visit the beach, you may see swimmers standing in waist-deep water far offshore. What you don’t see is how deep the water is between the beach and the sand bar they are on.
     The natural processes of the Gulf create a series of bars and troughs in the nearshore areas of coastal Texas. The height of the bar and the depth of the trough vary, but the water in the trough is sometimes “over your head.” Unless you swim very well, do not try to reach the sandbar offshore.

Sunburn Protection
     Protect yourself against sunburn. You can become sunburned even on cloudy or overcast days. Ultraviolet rays are harmful to the skin, regardless of the color of that skin. The coloring factor in the skin, and what provides the sun protection, is called melanin. The more melanin, the darker the skin and the more protection. Sunblock can protect the skin if applied properly. The SPF or sun protection factor listed on the sunblock indicates how long you can stay in the sun without burning. If, for example, you wear SPF 15 as recommended and you normally burn in 10 minutes, the sunblock allows you stay out for two and a half hours. Then you need another application or, even better, you need to get out of the sun for a while.
     Babies and small children should be protected with sunblock whenever exposed to the sun. Most skin damage occurs before the age of 15 — then skin begins to toughen somewhat.  The threat of skin cancer begins with the earliest exposure — and this includes Hispanics and blacks.

Stings, Bites and Cuts
     Sharks are a dramatic fish that have captured the public’s imagination. Shark bites are rare events and headline news. On the Texas Gulf Coast there is a greater chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery than being bitten by a shark. Encounters with stinging jellyfish are much more likely and swimmers need to be prepared.
     Stinging jellyfish abound in Gulf waters and randomly sting whatever they touch. The severity of the sting depends on the species of jellyfish and the reaction of the victim to the toxin. The most common stinging jelly is the Portuguese man-of-war, a community of animals called zooids. The most obvious zooid is the purple float with its tentacles dangling in the water. One inch of one tentacle contains 900 stinging cells that fire on impact, injecting toxin into the victim. Lifting the tentacle from the skin and dousing the area with alcohol will bring relief. A paste of meat tenderizer applied to the stings will counteract the toxin. An antibacterial spray will keep the wound from infecting. Do not rub the area with sand — this will only ensure that all the stinging cells fire. The sea wasp is another stinging jelly that can inflict considerable pain and scarring, and is seldom as visible as the man-o-war, which floats on the surface. It is generally a good idea to find another place to swim whenever either of these jellyfish are present in the water. And remember — just because the man-o-war is washed up on the beach doesn’t mean you are safe. The tentacles can still sting. Avoid stomping on the floats or smacking them with a stick.
     Stingrays frequent shallow Gulf waters and can thrust a sharp shaft into an offending foot or ankle when stepped on. This shaft, located at the base of the stingray’s tail, must be handled carefully, usually surgically, because the spines point backward and prevent easy removal. One good preventive action is to shuffle your feet while wading. When disturbed, the stingray will move away. It cannot puncture with the stinger unless it is held down to provide leverage for the tail to strike.
     One good preventive measure is for swimmers, particularly children, to always wear some type of foot gear when in the Gulf or on the beach, because shoes don’t bleed. Broken glass and sharp shell remnants are everywhere, and children are notorious for not watching where they are going, especially when chasing a Frisbee or a butterfly. Old tennis shoes or the popular water sox are a good choice.

Danger in the Dunes
     The frontal dunes are home to a number of animals — mice, rats, lizards and birds — and birds’ nests that often contain eggs. Just the perfect entrées for rattlesnakes. These dunes provide a first line of defense against storm tides and hurricanes. The salt resistant grasses provide food and protection for the animals that live there. The whole system is tough enough to survive the hostile conditions of the surf — but too fragile to endure foot traffic and off-road vehicles.
     While it occasionally may be necessary to enter the dune line to retrieve a kite, Frisbee or errant ball, be sure to watch for rattlesnakes, which are retiring by nature and don’t appreciate company. These snakes will leave a congested area if given the opportunity, and may even warn an intruder by shaking their rattles. If unable to escape, or if surprised, a rattler will strike, often without warning.
Snake bites must be treated immediately. Head for the nearest treatment center without delay. Try to keep the victim calm and comfortable, moving as little as possible. Do not waste time trying to administer first aid that may cause more harm than benefit. Prevention by precaution is the byword when around the dunes. Pay attention.