Perdido Key, Fla. – (OBA) – To enhance beach safety at Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach Lifeguards have begun patrolling the public access points starting yesterday, Thursday, May 23rd. 

Lifeguards will be stationed at Perdido Key Public Access #2 from 10 am to 6 pm daily until August 11th, additional patrols will be conducted at access points #1, #3, and #4.

Beachgoers are encouraged to stay near the lifeguards, to ensure their safety. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution when swimming in the Gulf, especially when lifeguards are not present. 

This initiative was driven by the tragic drownings of three individuals due to rip currents last year. On April 6 of last year, 16-year-old Bryce Brooks from Atlanta died while rescuing four younger children from a rip current. A family friend, Chuck Johnson, died while trying to save Brooks. A week later, one of the children pulled from the water, 12-year old-Rashad Williams, passed away at the hospital.