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Swimming
is allowed at all beaches. At West Ship Island there is a designated swim
beach area, however, lifeguards may or may not be on duty. Check with
the park ranger in the area for current weather and surf updates. Calm
waters can turn into rough seas as a storm moves through the area. Know
your currents and how to swim out of them.
Currents
Littoral
Current
Littoral (alongshore) currents are evidenced by waves breaking at an angle.
This common current moves westward. To escape, swim straight in or at
an angle with the current.
Backwash
Current
A backwash current on a steeply sloping beach can pull you toward deeper
water, but its power is swiftly checked by incoming waves. To escape,
swim straight in if you are a strong swimmer. If not, wait and float until
the current stops, then swim in.
Rip Currant
A rip current (also called "rip tide"or "seaward current")
is dangerous. Less common than backwash and littoral currents, a rip current
will carry a swimmer out from shore, sometimes at an angle.
To escape, stay calm, wave for asstance, and swim parallel to shore. When
free of the current, swim straight in. Never try to swim against rip currents.
For more
information on beach
safety.
Mississippi
has a number of marine animals that can sting or injure a swimmer. Treatment
guides for the most common of these are listed below.
Jellyfish
and Portugese
Man-O-War stings
Apply vinegar to the area. Then, if available, apply xylocaine. In treating
the sting, vinegar "fixes" the stinging cells on the skin, while
xylocaine neutralizes the toxin of the stinging cells. Xylocaine works
to some degree to reduce pain, but nothing is as effective as time.
Puncture
by Stingray
Spines and Catfish
The toxin injected into the wound by the spine appears to be inactivated
by heat. Dramatic recovery normally results by soaking in hot water for
thirty to sixty minutes. Care should be taken not to scald the victim
since pain from the wound may mask normal reaction to heat.
Whenever
signs of an allergic reaction occur, such as difficulty breathing, arrangements
should be made for immediate transportation to a hospital.
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