JACKSONVILLE, BEACH, Fla. — Independence day at Jacksonville Beach means crowds of visitors from both near and far, looking to enjoy the beautiful coastlines and some Fourth of July fireworks.
“We’re super excited, it’s our first time here for 4th of July,” Ginet Jamali told Action News Jax on her visit from Orlando. “We’re staying right there [by the beach], so we’re going to have an amazing view.”
However with the expected Jacksonville Beach crowds during the Fourth of July comes concerns about public safety. Friday morning, Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue released a statement asking that everyone follows the “three Bs” of beach safety: be aware, be seen, and be safe.
Kevin bill is a parent visiting with his family from out of town and told Action News Jax Friday his top priority is always never losing sight of his little one out on the beach.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
“We keep an eye on the small one. She’s hard to keep up with, but we got all of it,” Bill said. “We got our sisters and her brothers here with us, and we just normally, I ain’t gonna lie to you, bro, we just stay close to the beach as we can.”
Jax Beach Ocean Rescue is also stressing the importance of staying close to a lifeguard at all times, which is more important than ever with the Action News Jax First Alert Weather center warning of high rip current risk at Jacksonville area beaches Friday, and some continued risk throughout the busy Fourth of July weekend.
“We don’t go in past our waste,” Jamali said of her and her five year old son. “I’m too afraid of the rip currents.”
“Listen to adults, if somebody tells you to get out of the water, get out the water,” Bill added. “Otherwise, you’ll be in a statistic. You’ll be on the newspaper next week.”
Be sure to stay up to date on Action News Jax for the latest updates on water conditions at our beaches from the First Alert Weather center.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
