Florida Lifeguards Put 'Baywatch' to Shame

Note to Pam Anderson and David Hasselhoff: You’ve been replaced. Over the past several days, lifeguards in Volusia County have rescued over 500 swimmers. Recent months of heavy surf have created dangerous rip current channels — narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling offshore. And while reason might suggest staying out of the water, high heat continues to drive Floridians to the beach.

Click Orlando reports, Scott Petersohn of the Volusia County Beach Patrol instructed swimmers on what to do when being pulled by rips. "Do not turn and swim directly back into shore; you're swimming, basically, upstream. You're in the deepest part of the beach, in that area, and you're going to sit still, not making any progress. You're going to expend all your energy and, hopefully, we'll intervene."

On Friday, a chain of five lifeguards worked to pull an entire family from the powerful rip. Similar scenarios played out hundreds of times over the next few days. Authorities don’t see the tides turning anytime soon, so beach patrol is out in full effect. But it might be worth considering a less life-threatening alternative for cooling off, like say, going to a movie in a air conditioned theater or eating an ice cream cone.