By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With several Outer Banks rip current rescues already Friday and more than 60 such rescues on Thursday at North Carolina beaches, lifeguards are warning swimmers as visitors pack the coast for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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A red flag — noting a high risk for life-threatening rip currents — was active Friday from Avon and Buxton on Hatteras Island north to Pea Island, according to the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad and the National Weather Service.
“The surf zone is dangerous for all levels of swimmers. Stay out of the water,” the National Weather Service warns about red flag conditions.
By early Friday afternoon, there were several Outer Banks rip current rescues at Avon in Dare County, according to the National Weather Service in Morehead City. And, on Wednesday, there were five Avon rescues with 12 on Tuesday.
“Avon is experiencing multiple shifting rip currents — all swimmers should use caution entering the water,” Hatteras Island rescue officials said Friday afternoon.
A day earlier was an extremely busy day with 63 rip current rescues in New Hanover County across three Wilmington-area beaches by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service in Wilmington reported.
Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue recorded the most on Thursday with 44 rescues. Kure Beach lifeguards had 15 rescues, and Wrightsville Beach saw four rip current rescues on Thursday.
“Outstanding job by all three ocean rescues with no fatalities or injuries reported,” the weather service office in Wilmington said.
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The week has been very active for rip current rescues, with 33 on the New Hanover beaches on Wednesday. By late Thursday afternoon, there had been at least 107 rip current rescues on the North Carolina coast — starting Tuesday with 12 at Avon on the Outer Banks.
Beaches in Pender and New Hanover counties were at risk on Wednesday and Thursday with lifeguard chairs flying yellow flags, indicating life-threatening rip currents are possible.
The surf forecast for Cape Hatteras areas and points north for Independence Day is a moderate risk of dangerous rip currents, the weather service said.
The weather service notes that rip currents are very dangerous compared to other outdoor threats, such as tornadoes or flooding.
Over 25 years, starting in 2000, there were 196 rip current deaths along the North and South Carolina coasts, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, tornadoes along the coast killed 41 people, and flooding left 25 dead. Lightning strikes caused 22 deaths in counties along the coast, the weather service said.
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