GALVESTON, Texas — This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer.
“We decided to come to Galveston this weekend and have a little fun,” Lynnette Taylor told KHOU 11 News.
The Galveston Island Beach Patrol expects anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 thousand people to swarm the island for good ol' Texas fun.
But, this weekend you can’t ignore the red flags.
Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said all weekend long they’ll be flying a red flag warning at the beach.
“If you’re a good swimmer who’s an adult, you don’t want to go above your waist and stay extra far away from jetties. If you’re a non-swimmer and you have kids, it’s a great day to make a sandcastle,” Davis said.
That means those people should stay out of the water. Why? Well, Davis said dangers are lurking in the water in the form of rip currents.
“A rip current is essentially a little river that leads straight out to the water,” Davis said.
Davis said the dangerous rip currents like to form near jetties and piers. That’s why he’s asking everyone in the water to stay even further away from them than normal. If you do find yourself in a rip current, there’s one thing to remember.
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“Don’t panic and float. As long as you stay calm and float, you're going to be ok,” Davis told KHOU 11 News.
Davis said you should call for help once the water calms.