OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) -At Ocean Isle Beach, a QR code is one of the few ways you can check to see the rip current risks before you head out into the waves.

A quick scan can show you what conditions are like.

But neighbors are now wonder is a sign enough to save a life?

“They’ve got the warning signs as you walk up on the accesses, but they don’t have flags to make you extra vigilant if there is extra risk for rip currents,” Landon Hodgin, who is vacationing in OIB, said.

Town officials came under fire last week when a teenager drowned at the beach, caught in a suspected rip current.

It has locals and vacationers alike asking the town to do more.

“Even when you see the signs, that’s something you see every time you go to the beach. If you saw a bright red flag or a bright yellow flag, whatever it may be, that might make you hyper aware,” he said.

Mayor Debbie Smith says the town is looking into it.

“I have had some discussions with our commissioners as well as fire department and police department about maybe some things we could do differently in coming years,” she explained.

She says while there’s beach patrol during the summer, rip current flags may be in the works as well.

“We have not had time to put any plans together or figure out any cost or proper ways of action, but we will be talking about it in the future, yes,” she answered.

Hodgin says the work would be well worth it.

“I think it would be an easy and beneficial thing for Ocean Isle to institute,” he said.

It comes as town leaders work to balance rapid growth on Brunswick County beaches with safety for everyone.

“We’re all trying to figure out our new normal in the fast-paced growth we’re experiencing,” Smith said.

Smith says while no decisions have been made yet, town leaders are in talks to discuss the possibility of flags at board meetings in the future. Their next meeting is on August 13.

Copyright 2024 WECT. All rights reserved.