'Screaming in distress': Bay County responders rescue tourist from Gulf of Mexico
PANAMA CITY BEACH — As the spring break season heats up, at least one tourist already has been rescued from the Gulf of Mexico.
According to William Jordan, a firefighter and EMT with Bay County Fire Rescue, the incident occurred about 6 p.m. Sunday off Beach Access 21, which is located near the intersection of Surf Drive and Tarpon Street.
The area sits in unincorporated Bay County, outside the city limits of Panama City Beach.
"We arrived on scene to find one swimmer about 75 yards out, screaming in distress," Jordan said.
He noted the Bay County Sheriff's Office also responded, and both agencies launched rescue swimmers to help. The struggling beachgoer was secured onto a surfboard and then pulled to shore by a Jet Ski.
Jordan, who said the tourist was in rough shape when they got to shore, could not release their name as of Monday morning.
"They were breathing, and they were awake, but they were very tired and distressed," Jordan said. "It was critical that we got them up to the ambulance and made sure that we checked them out."
The tourist was transferred to a local hospital.
The rescue occurred while the Gulf was under a single red flag, meaning dangerous currents were present, but the water remained open to the public.
Jordan did not believe the swimmer got caught in a rip current, but that they swam out too far and got too tired to make it back.
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For him, the rescue is proof that beachgoers should never underestimate the Gulf, especially under a single red flag.
"We always advise extreme caution on single red flag days because the conditions are still dangerous, it's just not dangerous enough to close the water," Jordan said. "Just because (the Gulf) looks nice and inviting doesn't mean that it's safe.
"You need to assume danger is present every time you get in the Gulf."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: One tourist rescued from Gulf of Mexico on Sunday near Access 21
