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Tag: Manatee County Beach Patrol

Rotary Club donates $25,000 for Beach Patrol drone program

Written by Ernie Vanderwalt on . Posted in Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island presented Manatee County Beach Patrol with a $25,000 check to assist Manatee County with its five-year, $140,000 Beach Patrol drone water rescue program.

The beach drone rescue program will utilize a specialized drone manufactured, programmed, supported and maintained by BRINC Drones.

The BRINC drone to be utilized on Anna Maria Island will feature an emergency flotation device. – BRINC Drones | Submitted

The check presentation took place during the July 21 Rotary Club luncheon at the Beach House restaurant in Bradenton Beach. The funds were raised in May, when the Rotary Club held its second annual Reel for Rotary fishing tournament and dedicated half of the tournament’s net proceeds to the county’s drone water rescue program. The drone being purchased by the county, with assistance from the Rotary Club, will cost approximately $30,000.

Rotary Club President Rebecca Gill spoke during the luncheon. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

AMI Rotary Club President Rebecca Gill’s son, David Bettner, is a former U.S. Coast Guard member, and he attended the Rotary Club luncheon. Bettner said the drone will shrink the window of time between an emergency and a response and give rescuers a tool that isn’t tied to any one person’s location or availability.

The drone will be stationed centrally at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, which will put it less than four minutes by air from Bean Point in Anna Maria, where multiple water rescues occurred in 2025, including two drowning-related fatalities.

Beach Patrol officials are confident the reduced response time could make a critical difference in a rescue situation in which a patrol vehicle covering the same distance in traffic might take 15 to 30 minutes to arrive.

Manatee County Beach Patrol Chief Chet Brown said the drone’s primary uses will be water rescues, locating missing children and responding to cardiac arrest calls. He said the drone could also help cut down on false calls, which is a recurring drain on resources when multiple agencies respond to a report that turns out to be nothing serious. A quick drone flyover can confirm or cancel a call before units are dispatched.

Lt. David Snyder spoke on behalf of Manatee County Beach Patrol. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

Beach Patrol Lt. David Snyder said the idea to use a drone grew out of recurring struggles to locate missing swimmers quickly.

“If we could launch a drone, we can have it in the area really quick and give us a bird’s eye view of what’s going on,” Snyder said.

He said three Beach Patrol drone pilots have already completed training and certification, and the drone is expected to arrive in August.

Snyder said the drone can act as a scout and give responders a clear picture of a situation before they arrive at the scene. The drone can carry a payload matched to the emergency. The drone carries a drop tube that inflates upon contact with water and delivers a flotation device on impact, rather than requiring a swimmer to reach the scene first. Other applications include delivering an automated external defibrillator (AED) to someone experiencing a cardiac event – and doing so before a lifeguard or other first responder arrives.

Snyder said Beach Patrol currently has an AED for each of its 14 or 15 responding units. The drone would let crews redeploy that equipment quickly to wherever it’s needed most, even in situations where a responder is pulled to another call without having any gear in hand.

BRINC’s Guardian Station drone system is built for continuous deployment, and it automatically switches batteries and payloads between flights. The drones are corrosion- and water-resistant and can carry flotation devices, AEDs and trauma kits.

Manatee County lifeguards stress vigilance during busy summer months

Written by Ernie Vanderwalt on . Posted in Beach, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Lifeguards with the Manatee County Beach Patrol work 365 days a year, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., watching over 11 lifeguard towers spanning Manatee Beach, Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach. 

The lifeguards say the Gulf’s calm appearance can mask real dangers, including rip currents, lightning and heat.

A.J. Nelson has been with Manatee County Beach Patrol for more than eight years and has been lifeguarding for over a decade. He grew up in Punta Gorda as a competitive swimmer, coached swim teams, taught lessons and lifeguarded at the pool where he trained before coming to Anna Maria Island at age 19. 

Lifeguard A.J. Nelson kept watch from Tower 1 on Manatee Beach, which provided him with a clear view of the beach and the Gulf. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

He still trains like an athlete. During an interview at Tower 1, he pulled out a cantaloupe, which he said helps regulate his blood sugar, alongside a bottle of kombucha, a probiotic drink rich in antioxidants, organic acids and B vitamins.

Nelson said he’s in the water every day and loves swimming, paddling and competing. He is one of six Manatee County lifeguards heading to the United States Lifesaving Association’s James P. “Mac” McCarthy Regional Surf Lifesaving Championships this month in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where they will compete against teams from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Texas.

He credits the Beach Patrol department’s leadership for the team’s success. 

“A lot of it comes down to our leadership here and just the opportunities that we’ve been given,” Nelson said. “With our chief, he really looks out for us, and they’re always looking to give us the best gear. The public safety director has really had our backs these last couple years.” 

Roughly half of Beach Patrol staff are EMT-certified, and several are paramedics, meaning the same person who pulls you out of the water can also treat you once you’re on the sand. 

Nelson said not every day is a crisis and part of what keeps him in the job is the sheer unpredictability of it.

“Dealing with the hectic situations, sometimes it’s so crazy that it’s kind of hilarious,” he said. “We run into lots of interesting things out here.”

LIGHTNING PROTECTION

Last August, the county installed a Thor Guard lightning prediction system at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, and another atop the Beach Patrol station near Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. The system is designed to warn beachgoers before the first lightning strike hits, rather than after. 

A Thor Guard lightning prediction system sits atop the Manatee Beach visitor information kiosk. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

Nelson explained how it works: “It automatically goes off if there’s lightning within five miles. It’s on a 30-minute timer to clear after it detects lightning. It’ll do three long blasts to clear.” 

Three long blasts mean the beach is safe to reopen.

Florida leads the nation in lightning fatalities, according to National Weather Service data. Ignoring the warning horn on county beaches isn’t just risky; it can carry serious consequences. 

“If you’re not listening to us and you’re not getting off the beach, that’s grounds for being trespassed,” Nelson said. “And if you don’t listen longer than that, then that’s an arrestable offense.”

MCCARTHY’S JOURNEY

Lt. Josh McCarthy grew up lifeguarding in Manly, Australia. He started in a junior program at age 8 and was patrolling a beach by age 12. He joined the Manatee County Beach Patrol in 2021 and was promoted to lieutenant in January.

McCarthy said his first year on Anna Maria Island brought more rescues than his entire career in Australia.

“I had two in Australia. And then in my first month out here, I had about seven. And then, by the end of the year, I had 42,” McCarthy said. “Which is bizarre, right? You’d never think that, especially on the Gulf Coast.” 

McCarthy said the Gulf’s flat, glassy surface is what makes it dangerous and misunderstood. 

“The misconception for a lot of people is understanding what a rip current is,” he said. “It’s the wave that just pushed the water onto shore, and that water needs to get back out to sea so another wave can generate itself. A rip current will only ever take you out to the last breaking wave.”

His advice, if you’re caught in one, is to stop fighting it. 

“The best thing that people can do is float, calm down, raise one arm and call for help,” he said. 

McCarthy said a rip current might last for two minutes and it might last for five to 10 minutes; and he doesn’t blame swimmers for panicking. 

“You’re watching someone who is in absolute shock,” McCarthy said. “Every bad thought is rushing into their brain. So, it’s not anyone’s fault that they panic in those sorts of situations.”

McCarthy said the days when the water is flat bring a quieter threat: Swimmers who reach a sandbar with energy to spare but don’t have enough energy to swim back to shore. 

“Those are a lot harder to predict than rip current rescues,” McCarthy said. “You just never know when they’re going to get too tired. It’s very common that they just slip under and then you don’t even see them. Everyone swims out there. They’re all in a big group and they don’t realize one person’s gone down.”

DIFFERENT PATHS, SAME MISSION

Nelson and McCarthy came to Anna Maria Island by very different routes: Nelson through local swimming programs in Punta Gorda, and McCarthy by way of a lifelong lifeguarding career on Australia’s surf beaches. Both ended up watching the same stretch of the Gulf for the same reason.

A sign posted at the base of lifeguard Tower 3 explains to beachgoers what each beach warning flag color means. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

“Use common sense,” Nelson said. “Pay attention to the flags and the conditions. If you hear a whistle, pop your head up, look at what’s going on. We may be trying to get your attention.”

The lifeguards’ advice costs nothing and, according to the people who are paid to watch this stretch of the Gulf Coast every day, it can save lives that would otherwise be lost to nothing more than a red flag someone didn’t see.

Related coverage: Beach Patrol logs 136 water rescues in three days

Beach Patrol logs 136 water rescues in three days

Written by Ernie Vanderwalt on . Posted in Beach, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County Beach Patrol rescued 136 beachgoers from dangerous rip currents over a three-day period from Wednesday, June 17, through Friday, June 19. None of the rescued swimmers required additional medical assistance.

Capt. Marshall Greene oversees the Manatee County Beach Patrol operations at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach. 

“We’ve rescued over 130 individuals since Wednesday,” Greene said on Friday. 

When contacted again the following day, Greene said 39 people were rescued on Wednesday, 48 were rescued Thursday and 49 were rescued on Friday. 

The red flag was flying at Manatee Beach on Friday, June 19. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

On Friday, the Manatee County Public Safety Department posted a Facebook message that said, “On Wednesday alone, our Beach Patrol team responded to 18 rescues involving more than 30 beachgoers. We’re grateful for the quick actions and dedication of our lifeguards, who safely assisted swimmers throughout the day. Several of these rescues were related to rip currents – strong and fast-moving channels of water that can quickly pull swimmers away from shore.”

If you find yourself caught in a rip current, Beach Patrol advises taking the following actions:

• Stay calm. Don’t panic.

• Don’t try to swim directly against the current.

• Float, breathe and conserve your energy. Swim parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current, then make your way back to shore.

• Always swim near a staffed lifeguard tower.

Use these potentially lifesaving tips if you find yourself caught in a rip current. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

Greene said the conditions behind the three-day surge in water rescues were a combination of wave action, wind and heavy beach traffic. He said many of the rescues involved “flash rip currents,” which are channels that form suddenly in water that was calm minutes earlier – even in areas where swimmers believed they could safely stand.

What stood out to Greene wasn’t the volume of rescues, but the outcome: none of the rescued swimmers required hospitalization or calls for EMS assistance. 

“Our staff got to them and pulled them out of the water and rescued them before it got so critical that they either inhaled water or had any other medical incident,” Greene said.

Capt. Marshall Greene oversees the Manatee County Beach Patrol. – Manatee County | Submitted

Greene credited the Beach Patrol lifeguards’ training and vigilance for noticing the swimmers were in distress before their conditions became life-threatening. He said the lifeguards worked “preemptively and preventatively” throughout the week. He noted Beach Patrol staff are also certified EMTs, but that level of care wasn’t needed during these rescues.

Greene said many rescues involved multiple swimmers at once, occasionally stretching staff across simultaneous incidents.

Greene noted Beach Patrol covers less than two miles of Anna Maria Island’s seven-mile shoreline and he urges swimmers to stay near the staffed lifeguard towers.

“If you swim at a guarded beach, we’re there to help you,” he said. “Swim at an unguarded beach, it’s going to take us time to get there because somebody has to call 911 first.”According to Lt. Joey Santos, there were less than 10 rescues on Saturday.

Beach Patrol advises beachgoers to check the current beach conditions before swimming, . The beach conditions can be found online at mymanatee.org/departments/public-safety-department/beach-patrol-division.

At the beaches, the swimming conditions indicated by the green, yellow, red or double red flags flown from the lifeguard towers.

Manatee County Beach Patrol named Beach Patrol of the Year

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Beach, Outdoors.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Beach Patrol has been named 2025 Beach Patrol of the Year by the Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association (FBPCA).

The award recognition was formally presented during the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 27.

“The award honors the division’s exceptional performance, professionalism and commitment to public safety,” says the press release that notes the county beach patrol also won the award in 2017.

Manatee County Beach Patrol serves Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach (in Bradenton Beach) and Manatee Beach.

“Throughout 2025, Manatee County Beach Patrol consistently demonstrated lifesaving excellence on and off the water. The team assisted with locating and reuniting more than 200 missing persons with their families or loved ones. Most of those cases involved children,” the press release says.

According to the press release, Manatee County Beach Patrol conducted more than 300 water rescues and responded to approximately 1,400 medical incidents. Of those responses, more than 350 were advanced life-support calls, including cardiac arrests.

In the press release, Beach Patrol and Aquatic Safety Division Chief Chet Brown said, “Every time our lifeguards do a water rescue, they put their lives on the line. I am humbled to lead this team and work alongside them every day.”

County Commissioner Tal Siddique said, “The advanced lifesaving care and certifications they maintain are on par with firefighters and EMS. It’s incredible to have that level of protection on our beaches.”