Walton County, Florida, approves tough sanctions for double-red flag violations nwfdailynews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nwfdailynews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SANTA ROSA BEACH Walton County commissioners on Tuesday took a first look at proposed changes to the county s beach activities ordinance, all of which will have to go to a public hearing before any final adoption.
Among the proposed changes is a dramatic increase in the fines for ignoring double-red flag warnings to stay out of the Gulf of Mexico during dangerous surf conditions. The proposed increase comes following a tourist season that saw a substantial rise in the number of double-red flag water rescues by the South Walton Fire District.
In a single week in August as Hurricane Laura churned across the Gulf and kicked up the surf across Northwest Florida, SWFD personnel performed 31 water rescues. One of those rescues sent a SWFD lifeguard to a hospital.