Fort Lauderdale officials warn swimmers of rip currents ahead of busy weekend

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Lifeguards with Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue warned locals and visitors planning to head out to the beach this weekend to heed rip current warnings.

Fort Lauderdale Beach is expecting large crowds over the weekend with several high-profile events taking place. Local residents are already expecting a long weekend for lifeguards.

“It will be very crowded this weekend, more challenging for lifeguards,” one beachgoer said,

With such large crowds expected, Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue officials said they are treating the weekend like spring break.

“This is the Super Bowl of lifeguarding, pretty much,” David Ochoa said. “As for extra staffing, right now we’re at spring break levels staffing.”

Thousands of people are expected to take to the beach to watch the Fort Lauderdale Air Dot Show.

“This weekend, we have the Fort Lauderdale Air Show,” Ochoa said. “It’s a big event, our busiest of the whole year.”

Temperatures on the beach have already brought people to relax on the sands.

“The weather’s perfect. It’s excellent, nice breeze,” Eric said.

While rip currents have not been as bad on Friday, the breeze over the past few weeks has caused dangerous rip currents. A 12-year-old boy drowned after going missing off Fort Lauderdale Beach on April 18.

“We see it on the news all the time that people get caught in the rip currents,” Eric said.

Businesses along the beach are also expecting more customers to pass through the area.

“We did see a big influx in people coming down. It definitely helps out all the people around here,” Hunter Caldwell, who works at Fishing Headquarters, said.

Caldwell said that if rip currents make it too dangerous to swim, visitors can rent a boat to watch the air show from the water.

“We do fishing charters in the exact area where they’re flying, so you can not only fish for the same price, but also see the air show at the same time,” he said.

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