Rip Current Deaths Take Toll On First Responders

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M​ultiple ocean rescues.

Tourists who repeatedly ignore warnings to stay out of the water.

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Lives saved.

Lives lost.

A​ll of that in the past two weeks on the Gulf Coast beaches in Bay County, Florida, where at least eight people have been killed by rip currents so far in June.

“The sea does not pick and choose. If you're in the water, it doesn't matter if you're an Olympic swimmer, it could still become a very bad situation very quickly,” Bay County firefighter/EMT William “Spence” Jordan said in an interview Wednesday.

(MORE: ​Florida Rip Currents Leave At Least 10 Dead)

Jordan patrols the east end of Panama City Beach. It’s a tourist mecca in the Florida panhandle, and right now is peak season.

Jordan was part of 84 rescues in a recent stretch of about 10 days. In one of those, he and others on his team were able to save a dad and five kids.

In another, a swimmer died.

“When you get to day 10, 11, 12 of doing the same thing, rescues over and over again and seeing the same people getting in the water, it does get extremely frustrating, but you just have to kind of remind yourself, ‘hey, this is the job,’” Jordan said.

“People are relying on you to be out here to help them if they get into trouble and try to keep them safe, whether they appreciate it or not.”

(MORE: How To Escape From Dangerous Rip Currents)

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford is pleading with beachgoers to pay attention to warning flags and, most especially, do what rescue and law enforcement personnel tell them to do.

“These same heroes, who have risked it all to save others, have been cursed and given the finger, while trying to warn visitors of the life-threatening dangers,” Ford in a statement emailed to weather.com Monday.

Jordan has seen those actions up close from people who don’t like it when lifeguards tell them conditions are too dangerous to be in the water.

“Sometimes they can get a little aggressive with us,” he said. “You know, say some rude comments, throw some rude gestures.”

(MORE: How To Stay Safe At The Beach This Summer)

Jordan, 23, has been on the job five years. He says he understands that some beachgoers have spent a lot of money on their vacations and just want to enjoy themselves.

But, he adds, it’s not worth risking lives - theirs or the first responders who will go in and rescue them.

“I would ask people to keep that in mind when they do come visit our beautiful beaches, that it’s not just about them and their vacation. It's about everybody on that beach, including us that are coming to save them,” Jordan said.

“And if they're mad at me because of the weather conditions, but they are alive to be mad at me, at the end of the day I feel like ‘ok, I did my job. I can go home feeling good about myself that they're alive to be mad at me.”

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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