VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – This weekend is one of the busiest of the year at the beach. Crowds packed onto the sand and into the water, trying to soak up some sun before storms arrive. For beach safety teams, Memorial Day Weekend can be stressful as they work hard to keep everyone safe.
“We’ve been busy, we’ve had a lot of crowds, but so far, knock on wood, it’s been relatively mild,” said Captain AJ Miller.
A mild weekend for Volusia Beach Safety usually means fewer rip currents and water rescues. This year, the team has made about 35 rescues between Saturday and Sunday. That’s compared to a busy year like 2023 when 301 people were rescued over Memorial Day weekend.
“The way we place our towers is driven by historical data, the amount of rescues we have in those areas, and just daily observations,” Miller explained.
Captain Miller said they are always prepared, no matter the rip current conditions. With so many people on the beach for the holiday weekend, emergencies can happen on the sand, too. Each lifeguard must keep an eye on hundreds of people.
“Anywhere from a couple hundred to, especially in the no-drive zone, we have big pop-up events where you could have two or three thousand people,” he said.
This weekend, the team has two dozen trucks filled with lifeguards and EMTs. There are 128 guards working in towers and roaming the sand, along with ATVs and boats patrolling the area.
“We have to do dry land observations. We have to see what’s going on on the beach that could be precursors for trouble in the water later,” Miller explained.
The team looks for people speeding on the sand, crowd formations, and alcohol use. With a national lifeguard shortage affecting Volusia, these teams are also putting in extra effort to recruit new lifeguards and keep Volusia’s 47 miles of beach safe.
[Watch video below for details on beach rescue training]
“We’ve really hit it hard on our social media for recruiting. We’ve been in every school in the county that will allow us in to talk or put flyers,” Miller said. “It’s a big responsibility. It’s a hard job, but it’s a fun job, and it’s extremely rewarding.”
The county is holding a summer lifeguard tryout session on Saturday, May 31, at the Port Orange YMCA from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
If you are interested in becoming a lifeguard, more information is on the Volusia Beach Safety website.
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