Surfers are integral to beach safety

Two high schoolers rescued a struggling mom and daughter from the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, and they are just two of the many surfers who assist swimmers each year, Buck Lee, Executive Director of the Santa Rosa Island Authority, said.

"Surfers pull I can't tell you how many hundreds of people out of the water," Lee said. "They are an integral part of beach safety."

Lee and Beach Safety Director Bob West attempt to send a letter of recognition to each surfer who assists a swimmer, but many go unrecognized.

Lee said often, a surfer will lend a hand to a swimmer who then catches his or her breath on shore and refuses treatment.

Rip currents trap many otherwise good swimmers.

When caught in a rip current, swimmers should not fight but wait for the current to end, then swim back to shore.