CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With many people vacationing during spring break from out of town, some might not know what to expect when swimming out in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Port Aransas Surf Rescue Team said the first thing you want to do when you’re about to go swimming is take a look at the Flag Warning System. Kind of like a stop light, green means it’s safe to go swimming, but if it’s red you should stay within waist deep water. They recommend avoiding going in the water during a purple flag meaning there’s venomous creatures.
“Jellyfish we treat with vinegar. The vinegar breaks down the proteins in the poison and it kills the pain a little bit, quite a bit there. If it’s a sting ray, hot water is the remedy,” Jared Matthews, the manger of the Port Aransas Surf Rescue Team said.
Matthews said shark attacks are not common in these waters but some people have gotten cut by small sharks when swimming with bait fish.
Travelers like Lorin Navarro said she doesn’t know how to swim, so she swims close to the shore and lifeguards, which is exactly what the Port Aransas Rescue Team recommends. She also said she pays close attention to her surroundings.
“I also try to watch for jellyfish and make sure I’m not stepping on anything shark while I’m in the water like rocks and seaweed really freaks me out so I’ll get scared,” Navarro said.
When it comes to a rip current the rescue team said you will be pulled out perpendicular from shore and in that case they said to try and stay calm and swim sideways with the beach.
Travelers like Steve Grandinetti make sure to watch out for his daughter when she’s swimming.
“If you think it’s just a couple of feet, the life jacket on there as you get out there is important…the waves, the current, the riptides,” Grandinetti said.
