Volusia County beaches had nine drownings in 2024

Volusia County saw a drop in drownings from 2023 to 2024, according to Volusia County Beach Safety data.

The county’s Beach Safety Division includes Volusia County’s lifeguard corps, and the division records data on drownings, rescues and other beach-related data.

The division reported 13 drownings in 2023, which was the highest annual total since at least 1997, as previously reported. In 2024, there were nine drownings along Volusia County’s coastline, according to a response to a News-Journal public records request. The drownings all happened in unguarded sections of the beach.

At least a couple of the drownings came after people injured their spines, Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs said. This can happen when people hit their head on a sandbar and break their neck, but it’s still ruled a drowning because there is water in their lungs.

Volusia County always encourages people to swim near a staffed lifeguard tower. People can find those locations by using the Volusia Beaches mobile app.

Much more common for Volusia County lifeguards are rescues. The agency rescued 2,260 people in 2024.

Volusia County seeks lifeguards amid shortage, increases pay again

Starting pay for lifeguards is higher again this year. Starting pay is up to $18.50 as part of efforts to bring in more lifeguards for the busy summer season. As of summer 2024, the rate was $17. New lifeguards can also get bonuses.

Volusia County is feeling the effects of a national lifeguard shortage, Malphurs said via text, but she added she believes pay raises and bonuses over the last couple of years have helped.

The county has 180 seasonal (not full-time) lifeguard positions filled and 134 vacant seasonal positions, according to Malphurs.

Recruitment efforts are underway, including getting the word out at local schools, Malphurs said. The county is gearing up for another round of tryouts and recruit classes, and it’s not clear how many existing lifeguards will return for the busy season.

Whether people will see more lifeguard towers on the beach this summer depends on how recruitment efforts go, she said.

In July of 2024, Volusia County Chairman Jeff Brower called for higher pay for lifeguards at a county chairman candidate forum. Brower, a former Volusia County lifeguard, said he was horrified at how big the gap was between lifeguards near the Daytona Beach pier.

“There was so much space between the two lifeguard towers I could hardly see,” Brower said. “That’s absolutely unacceptable because I’ve sat towers like that where you can’t see to the next guard without binoculars. We have to hire more people.”

Sheriff’s Office transition

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office took over law enforcement operations on the beaches in May of 2023 because of a state law change. Before May of 2023, Beach Safety also handled law enforcement.

Some Beach Safety leaders opposed the change because it meant some would leave the organization, which also meant losing key staff while dealing with employee shortfalls.

In 2024, the division had its first full year since the transition.

Malphurs said the transition has allowed Beach Safety to focus more on lifesaving, emergency medical services and training.

“I think that 2024 was overall a good year post-transition. I think we got through the transition, and everyone started heading in the right direction with what our new Beach Safety mission is,” Malphurs said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Drownings in Volusia County declined in 2024

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