CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Summer doesn't officially start until June 21, but crews are already busy off the coast of the Carolinas rescuing people from rip currents.
Before you take the kids to the beach, you want to make sure the waters are safe. The National Weather Service issued a moderate risk warning for Wednesday and Thursday.
On Wednesday Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue said ten rip-current related rescues were made within two hours. At North Myrtle Beach, the rescue group said 15 people were saved from the sea.
"When we first got here, the flags were yellow, and it wasn't that bad at all, and then, like that, the flags were red, and suddenly, the current underneath was just unbearable," said a woman at the beach.
NBC Charlotte talked to Piedmont EMS Director Eric Morrison about the dangers you need to be aware of following the rescues of 25 people.
"People don't realize how strong those rip currents are," Morrison said. "If they can drag an adult out, just imagine what can happen with a child."
A local mom at the YMCA in Rock Hill said the dangers at the beach are a concern since she is heading there with the family soon.
"My son is pretty good swimmer," Rachel Wasserman said. "He's had a few years of swim lessons off and on, but it's the beginning of summer, and it's been nine months since he really swam, and that's why I have to make sure I keep that extra eye on him."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said 54 people have died from rip currents in North Carolina since 1996.
Some tips to escaping a rip tide if you're ever caught in a current:
- Relax and float to conserve energy.
- Don't try to swim directly to shore.
- Swim along shoreline until you can escape current.
- Swim at an angle away from current toward shore.