Tybee Beach rescues are up, but what's the reason?

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By Justin Burrows - email

TYBEE ISLAND, GA (WTOC) - Water conditions and rip currents have the lifeguards at Tybee Island busy with what seems to be multiple rescues a day.

But is the water or the economy to blame for the unusual activity?

Lt. Hunter Robinson of Tybee Beach and Rescue and his fellow lifeguards have had a busy summer patroling the beaches.

"We've had trouble in the past, but more this year than ever before," Lt. Robinson explained. "People will be out there and they'll be swept out and they get taken from 50 yards from the shoreline to about 300 yards from the shoreline in a matter of 20 or 30 seconds."

The Tybee Island Beach and Rescue have had 35 incidents in the last week and the total number of incidents for the summer, is on a record pace.

"It's amazing," Robinson said with eye-brows raised. "Last year we had a total of 1,369 incidents for the entire season. We matched that today and we're still in July. We still have two full months to go."

Lt. Robinson says that one of the main reasons for the increase in rescues is the increase in people at the beach.

And the businesses and locals like, Graham Lanceford of Chandler Beach Rentals, have noticed.

"It's been way over crowded," Lanceford explaine. "Last year it wasn't this crowded. I can barely get the umbrellas down without people trying to come and squeeze in and out of spots."

Tybee Island resident Frank Tuohey gave us a challenge.

"You try and find a parking space!"

So why the sudden rush to Tybee?

"We come here because it's closer and cheaper," a group of girls exclaimed.

Touhey agrees.

"I think that the people in and around Savannah, if they got laid-off, then they're not going on no vacation, they're vacation is Tybee Beach."

And so does Lt. Robinson

"I think the economy has a lot to do with it. people aren't going as far down south as they usually would and besides that, Tybee is a really nice beach."

But that attraction can be deadly.

"It's everyday business for us, but people who don't know the area or are not used to it, they don't realize how actually dangerous it is," Lt. Robinson says.

And being in the business of saving others is booming.