DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It will be a big weekend along the coast in Volusia County as Bike Week enters its final days and spring breakers start making their way in. Volusia Beach Safety said it is all-hands-on-deck for the crowds that will be met with dangerous rip currents.
“We do expect to have those rip current conditions, and we also expect to be making a lot of rescues over the spring and summer,” Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs said.
Storms made deep cuts to the offshore sandbars over the winter, making the rip currents even stronger now.
Malphurs said they are getting up to full-staff for the upcoming weeks, and even recruiting more lifeguards for this season.
“We watch where the crowds are. Sometimes we move our tower guards around depending on those crowds,” she said.
The county has a “Volusia Beaches” phone app that tells people in real time where lifeguards are positioned.
This will be the first spring break where the Volusia Sheriff’s Office is in charge of law enforcement on the beach, too, meaning while lifeguards are keeping their eyes on the water there will be a lot of deputies on land watching the crowds.
“When it comes to our beach, the days of these big congregations and you being able to congregate and get away with outstanding, outlandish behavior, it’s over,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
The sheriff told News 6 his deputies, beach safety, local police and state troopers the governor is sending to Volusia this year to help are working together. He said they will be especially watching the younger spring breakers after a couple of years of unruly crowds.
“If your kid gets locked up, you are coming back to get them because if you don’t come back to get them, Sheriff Chitwood will be on your doorstep with a warrant bringing you back,” he said.
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