Swept multiple people out (reportedly 8). Multiple life flights. No fatalities.

Youngster swept out and multiple people tried to retrieve. Giant cluster.

Review how to identify a riptide if you are going to the beach for the holiday, and be careful.

Extremely lucky. Coast guard rescue? Must have had something for flotation.

CS78 said:

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Extremely lucky. Coast guard rescue? Must have had something for flotation.

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Coast guard was involved.

We were down there is weekend. Definitely some really strong currents along the beach. And the brown, so much brown. May have been the dirtiest water I've seen along the beach, and river, and bay. Brown everywhere.

this past weekend Port A def brown water with tar. Not the best conditions. No sargassam tho

Port A now, dirty water for sure and tar is pretty heavy. Still better than being in the office

Things happen fast….

On Sunday 06/30/2024 at 1:00pm, The Matagorda County Sheriff's Office Dispatch received a call of three people in the water at Matagorda Beach in distress. The area was at or near 3 mile cut about 250 yards out in the water. Deputy Mario Lerma was on the beach working beach patrol and responded to the area. 2 citizens had swam out to try and help the 3 people in the water. Lerma saw a subject on a kayak going out in the water to help. When the kayak got to the 3 people the kayak turned over and there were 4 people in the water hanging on to the kayak. Another kayak went out to help and was turned over as well. At one time there were 7 people in the water and they all made it back to shore. The Texas Game Wardens were called as well as The Coast Guard. The Game Wardens had a boat in the water and the conditions were very rough. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter to help. EMS was notified and made scene and requested multiple Life Flight Helicopters which landed around the helipad on the beach access road.
The family that was in distress consisted of the Mother, Father, Son and the Son's Girlfriend all from Killeen, Texas. The son, Jaiden Ablies, 18 years old and his Girlfriend Jada Sanchez, 17 years old, were Life Flighted to Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston. As of Sunday night they were in stable condition. There were 3 people transported by ambulance to Matagorda Regional Hospital. 2 people refused treatment and were ok.

That's scary to think of from the kayaker perspective. Trying to help people and they, in their panic, flip you out. Better off staying out of reach and tossing them a line. I've thought a long floating line of poly rope anchored to a vehcile would be helpful if you could get it out to them.

Quote:

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250 yards out in the water.

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That's a lot of rope

1 min video:

Yeah, the idiots you are trying to rescue panic and forget they are naturally buoyant and just need to hold on and keep their heads above water, and gradually they'll get back to shore. Instead they try to climb on or in and flip the boat. Then they won't let go briefly so you can right it and get back on.

Panic induces a massive IQ drop. Only some of us have the surplus IQ to spare to not become dysfunctional.

Its a shame so many people die each year because of rip currents, because they are so easy to survive. You just need to know what to do. It's not going to carry you much past where the waves start to break, and they aren't that wide. Either swim side ways, or just relax and let it take you. When it stops, swim parallel to the beach for a little bit, and then let the waves take you back into the beach.

I thought the newest guidance on rip tides was to not fight it, and just let it spit you out?

Red Pear Realty said:

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I thought the newest guidance on rip tides was to not fight it, and just let it spit you out?

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Float and/or swim parallel to the shore. Both are in the current guidance

You are assuming that these swimmer can tread water for 5-10 minutes. Lots of beach swimmers are really waders that freak out if they get pulled past the second bar.

But yes, if you can tread water, the current just goes out past the last set of breakers and then dissipates and the waves and usually the wind will combine to push you back in. You can shorten this by swimming along the beach as pointed out above until you swim out of the riptide outflow and back into the water being pushed in.

I've been on them in a kayak and the rip tide currents is usually only 50 yards wide at most, sometimes quite a bit less, but it is moving pretty quick.

Imho, swimming with a small inflatable blow up float or pull string automatic float on a belt would probably make a big difference. It's no life vest, but even a small float can help keep your head above water with no effort.