Coastwatch 



Managing Editor 

 Katie Mosher 



Senior Editors 

 Ann Green 

 Pam Smith 



Contributing Editors 

 Kathleen Angione. Lilly Loughner 



Designer 

 L. Noble 



Circulation Manager 

 Sandra Harris 



The North Carolina Sea Grant College Program 



is a federal/state program that promotes 

 stewardship of our coastal and marine resources 



through research, extension and education. 

 It joined the National Sea Grant College Network 

 in 1970 as an institutional program. Six years later, 



it was designated a Sea Grant College. 

 Today, North Carolina Sea Grant supports research 

 projects, a 1 5-member extension program and a 

 communications staff. Ron Hodson is director. 

 The program is funded by the U.S. Department 

 of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration and the state through the 

 University of North Carolina. 

 Coastwatch (ISSN 1068-784X) 

 is published six times a year by the 

 North Carolina Sea Grant College Program, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605. 

 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8605. 

 Telephone: 919/515-2454. Fax: 919/515-7095. 

 Subscriptions are $15. 

 E-mail: katie_mosher@ncsu.edu 

 World Wide Web address: 

 / ittp://\\ ww.ncseagrant. org 

 Periodical Postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. 



POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 



Coastwatch, North Carolina Sea Grant, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605. 

 Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. 



Cover photo of sleek sailboats by Scott Taylor. 

 Table of Contents photo of oyster shells 

 by Tasha Petty. 

 Printed on recycled paper. © 



COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Break the Grip of the Rip 



Summer beach visits should be memorable 

 — and safe. 



That's the goal of the "Break the Grip 

 of the Rip" awareness campaign launched in 

 May by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Lifesaving 

 Association (USLA). 



"On average, more people die every year 

 by rip currents than to shark attacks or weather- 

 related deaths, such as tornadoes, lightning, 

 hurricanes or flooding," retired Navy Vice Adm. 

 Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator, 

 said at a news conference in Wrightsville Beach. 



The new national safety program builds 

 upon earlier efforts by the National Weather 

 Service (NWS) and the National Sea Grant 

 Network, both part of NOAA, as well as USLA, 

 which provides training and certification for open 

 water lifeguards across the country. 



But the campaign includes a personal 

 message as well. 



'Teach your kids beach safety and how to 

 act if they are in trouble in the water," said Sandee 

 LaMotte whose husband, CNN bureau chief Larry 

 LaMotte, died trying to save their son from a rip 

 current in Florida last year. 



Although their son was rescued, another 

 good Samaritan lost his life in an attempt to save 

 LaMotte's husband. "Eight families lost loved 

 ones to rip currents on that day — and it did not 

 need to happen." 



To avoid future tragedies, beach visitors are 

 encouraged to check daily rip current outlooks 

 that are included in the NWS surf zone forecasts 

 for coastal regions. Go to www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov 

 and click on the oudook link to find forecasts for 

 specific NWS offices. 



The site also includes a wealth of 

 information on rip currents, as well as links to 



The LaMotte family— from left, 

 Krysta, Sandee and Ryan — shared their tragic story. 



download public service announcements in 

 English and Spanish, and a national sign and a 

 brochure designed by Michigan Sea Grant 



Awareness is important for even the best 

 swimmers, as rip currents can move faster than 

 an Olympic swimmer, according to Spencer 

 Rogers, North Carolina Sea Grant coastal 

 erosion specialist. 



If you get caught in a rip, remember: 



• Stay calm - don't fight the current. 



• Escape by swimming across the current 

 — in a direction following the shoreline. 



• When free of the current, swim at an 

 angle toward shore. 



If you see someone else caught in a rip, get 

 help from a lifeguard. Also yell instructions and 

 throw something that floats. And, call 9-1 -1 . 



"Rip currents are dangerous because 

 they are invisible to the untrained eye and can 

 happen without warning," said Chris Brewster, 

 USLA president 



For more information on new products, 

 contact Katie Mosher at 919/51 5-9069 or 

 katie_mosher@ncsu.edu. — K.M. 



In the Next Issue of Coastwatch 



Five years after Hurricane Floyd, Pam Smith looks at recovery in the coastal plain, 

 while Lilly Loughner highlights books about the state's stormy history. Ann Green travels to the 

 rural community of Alligator in Tyrrell County, where trapping has been a rich tradition. 

 Also, readers learn how the Sea Grant mission translates to international efforts. 



2 HIGH SEASON 2004 



