PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Water rescues are rising in Pinellas County, and local first responders said they are working to bring that number down.
Lealman Fire Division Chief Jim Millican said that before the pandemic, there were roughly 20 rescue calls a year, but in 2022, that number hit 59.
“A lot of, like me, tourists don’t have a clue what is safe and what is not safe,” said Jeremy Brainerd, who visits Florida’s beaches regularly.
Brainerd has heard about quite a few water emergencies.
“Somebody was out on a raft, they were drinking, and they ended up getting caught in the water, where it just pulled them out from the undertow, and they didn’t make it, unfortunately,” he said.
Lealman Fire District covers the waterfront of Tierra Verde and Fort DeSoto Beach.
Water rescue calls in that area have more than doubled in the last few years.
“The majority of them are shallow water rescues, people who are out there sailboarding, kayaking, maybe canoeing things you do in shallow water, and they get themselves stuck in the mangroves sometimes, so they need rescue out of the mangroves,” said Millican.
Officials said a major reason they are seeing more rescue calls is the increase in tourism in the area. The only equipment Lealman Fire District has to reach shallow rescues is an emergency board and small boat.
“Currently, when we get out there, if we can’t reach the patient, we are waiting for another fire boat to arrive from somewhere else, and that generally takes time,” said Millican.
Now, Pinellas County is purchasing a new rescue Jon boat and a Jet Ski for Lealman Fire District to help them keep up with the number of calls they are receiving.
The new equipment will be up and running in about three months.
“It could potentially save somebody who wouldn’t normally have that option, so I think it’s a good thing,” said Brainerd.