NC beach town cracks down on risky swimming — and doesn’t care if tourists disagree

The coastal town of Pine Knoll Shores — which saw a drowning on Sunday — is going on the defensive against suggestions it is unnecessarily restricting swimming along its popular beaches.

Red flags warning of rip current dangers have become common on the town’s beaches, even on days when conditions are considered only moderate. Red flags mean only the most experienced swimmers and surfers should consider swimming.

“We have heard from more than a few people that our flag status has often exceeded actual conditions,” said a Tuesday post on the town’s Facebook page.

“We will never post flags at a condition less than what the NWS (National Weather Service) recommends,” the post continued. “But if our experienced Fire/EMS captains believe conditions in PKS warrant it, we will post a flag that reflects a more severe warning than what NWS has recommended for the entire coast of N.C.”

Read The Charlotte Observer