High tides keeps Volusia beaches closed to driving for part of Labor Day
DAYTONA BEACH -- Mother nature wasn't cooperating with those hoping to spend Labor Day at the World's Most Famous Beach.
Unusually high tides forced county officials to close all beach ramps this morning and Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn they didn't begin to reopen the ramps until about 12:30 p.m. All ramps will not open until later in the day, after the tide recedes.
Those who could find someplace to park other than the beach were free to use the beaches this morning. But tides were too high to allow anyone to drive or park on the beach, he said.
Long lines of cars were waiting at ramps to drive onto the beach about noon, he said.
The long Labor Day weekend, viewed by many as the last big weekend of the summer, is traditionally a very busy time at the beach. But conditions have not been kind to those trying to enjoy the beach this weekend.
Strong rip currents made swimming dangerous, with 275 lifeguard rescues on Sunday alone, Petersohn said. And some of beachgoers who survived the churning surf had to deal with another irritating problem -- jellyfish stings. Petersohn said one person had to be taken to the hospital Sunday after suffering a suspected case of anaphylactic shock from a jellyfish sting.
