Crowds head to the beach to cool off

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - People have been out enjoying the sun all weekend and that continued Monday at the beaches on Tybee Island.

“My family’s down here so we’re just down here having some family time,” Aubrey Cowart said.

Like many, Cowart is out enjoying all Tybee Island has to offer.

“We’ve been walking and looking for sharks’ teeth, actually. We collect them,” Cowart said.

Cowart said although she loves the sun, the heat is strong.

“For it to only say that it’s 90 degrees, it feels like the hottest day of the summer,” she said.

That’s something that the special operations captain for Tybee Island Fire says people need to be careful about.

“If you’re going to come out and enjoy the beach, I definitely recommend drinking plenty of water, hydrating very well,” Capt. Matt Bowen said.

He said something else to look out for is rip currents.

“We did run a good bit of heat exhaustion and heat-related injuries and illnesses, but the main thing that the ocean rescue was running was actually water rescues due to rip currents,” Capt. Bowen said.

To prepare for this weekend, Bowen said the fire station is filled with extra staff.

“Our guys themselves, they’re actually working 48 hours, they’re doing doubles,” Capt. Bowen said.

Cowart said she’s been doing everything she can to try and stay cool.

“Drinking lots of water of course and we go out on the water, spending how long? Like hours in the water,” she said.

Capt. Bowen said it’s always good to check with your lifeguards when you get to the beach to make sure you know if the water is too dangerous for your swimming abilities.

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