VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla – If you hit Volusia County beaches this week, you’ll see lifeguards waving two flags: A red one indicating strong rip currents and a purple one warning about dangerous marine life in the water.
The county’s beach safety team said jellyfish stings have skyrocketed over the last several days and the water critters are expected to stick around for awhile.
As of Wednesday, 367 people had been stung by jellyfish and treated by lifeguards in Volusia since Saturday.
Volusia Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs said they tend to come into the area with the current and depending on the conditions, they’ll stick around like they are now. They see a mix of different types of jellyfish, too.
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While Malphurs said they see them come in droves like this every few years, they want to get the warning out before you hit the water.
“Our guards go out there are swim first thing in the morning and that kind of is the indicator of if the jellyfish are still out there. A bunch of them got stung this morning so they’re still out there. We are flying that red and purple flag today. The purple flag is for stinging marine life,” she said.
So, what do you do if you get stung?
Malphurs said all of the lifeguards have jugs of vinegar right now to help clean the wound and they say try not to rub or scratch it.
They do want you to alert them, though, if you are stung so they can try to keep track of the jellyfish numbers in the water and see you in case you have an allergic reaction.