One person was pulled from the ocean Sunday afternoon at Jacksonville Beach and later died, according to a spokesperson with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
Maxwell Ervanian with Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue told Times-Union news partner First Coast News that ocean rescue performed at least seven water rescues over the weekend alone and it was the busiest weekend for crews so far this year.
He said red flags were up along the beach due to dangerous water conditions such as rough surf or rip currents.
Florida beaches tend to use four colors to tell beachgoers current tide and surf conditions: Red, yellow, green and purple.
What do the flags mean on Florida beaches?
One person was pulled from the water at Jacksonville Beach Sunday afternoon and later died, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It was a red flag beach weekend with rough surf conditions.
Green flag: Low hazard — conditions are calm, but beachgoers should still exercise caution.
Yellow flag: Medium hazard — conditions present a moderate hazard. Swimmers should exercise extra caution.
Red flag: High hazard — indicates high surf and/or strong currents. Some beach communities will prohibit swimming and wading, so be sure to check local guidelines.
Double red flag: Water is closed to the public including surfers — typically used during hurricanes or other natural disasters.
Purple flag: Dangerous marine life — man o’ war, jellyfish, stingrays, etc. pose a potential hazard to swimmers.
What does it mean if the beach has no flags flying?
Beachgoers shouldn’t assume an absence of flags indicates safe conditions. Most local municipalities update flag conditions on their website daily.
Not all Florida beach flags are the same
Kind of. In 2005, the Florida Legislature adopted a uniform flag system and amended section 380.276, F.S. to require all public beaches to display warning flags using only the flags developed for the state’s warning program.
Specific rules regarding each color may change from community to community. For instance, swimming and wading are prohibited during red flag conditions on Pensacola Beach. However, all Florida beaches use the same flag colors indicating the same conditions.
What beach flag color is used for rip currents?
Florida does not use beach flags to specifically warn of the presence of rip currents. Florida Coastal Management Program works with local government and public parks to provide educational signs if funds are available.
Pensacola News Journal writer Brandon Girod contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Beach swimmer dies after being pulled from water
