Holden Beach Safety Stations

To help protect beachgoers, the Town of Holden Beach and Tri-Beach Fire Department have installed Beach Safety Stations along the Holden Beach strand, spaced approximately 600 feet apart.

Each station provides emergency rescue flotation equipment, location information, water-safety instructions, and QR-code access to the latest National Weather Service beach conditions.

Holden Beach does not have lifeguards. All ocean swimming is at your own risk.

🚨 Water Emergency — Call 911

THROW, DON'T GO!

If someone is in trouble in the water, call 911 immediately. Do not enter the ocean to attempt a rescue.

1. CALL 911 FIRST
Immediately call 911 or direct another person to call. Give the dispatcher your location as precisely as possible, including the nearest Beach Safety Station identifier, street address, public beach access, or visible landmark.

2. THROW FLOTATION
Use the rescue flotation device at the nearest Beach Safety Station or another object that floats to provide flotation to the person in distress whenever possible.

3. MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT
Keep your eyes on the person in the water. Their position can change quickly because of rip currents, longshore currents, waves, and wind. Be prepared to point out their location to arriving fire and rescue personnel.

4. DO NOT BECOME ANOTHER VICTIM
Entering the ocean to attempt a rescue can place you in immediate danger and create an additional victim. If someone nevertheless enters the water, they should never enter without flotation.

📍 Know Your Beach Safety Station

Each Beach Safety Station has a unique location identifier that can help emergency responders determine where you are along the beach.

If you call 911 from the beach, give the dispatcher the identifier displayed on the nearest Beach Safety Station whenever possible.

For example, a station identified as 477W corresponds to the area near 477 Ocean Blvd West.

Knowing the nearest station identifier can help emergency responders locate an incident more quickly, especially when the emergency is occurring on the ocean side of the island where normal street addresses may not be visible.

🛟 What's at a Beach Safety Station?

Beach Safety Stations are intended to provide readily accessible emergency and safety resources along the strand.

Stations include:

• Emergency rescue flotation equipment for use during a water emergency

• A unique station/location identifier to help communicate your location to 911

• Beach and water-safety information

• A QR code providing quick access to current beach-safety resources and National Weather Service information

The equipment at these stations is provided for emergency use. Please do not remove, relocate, damage, or use rescue equipment for recreation.

📱 Check Current Beach Conditions

Ocean conditions can change rapidly.

Scan the QR code at a Beach Safety Station to access the latest National Weather Service rip current risk and beach forecast for Holden Beach.

The forecast provides important information about hazards such as rip currents and surf conditions, but it cannot account for every localized or rapidly changing condition.

Always observe the water at your location before entering the ocean.

🔴 🟡 🟢 Rip Current Risk Color Guide

🔴 HIGH

Life-threatening rip currents are likely.

The surf zone is dangerous for all levels of swimmers. Stay out of the water.

🟡 MODERATE

Life-threatening rip currents are possible.

Use caution in the surf and understand that dangerous currents may be present even when conditions appear calm.

🟢 LOW

Rip current risk is low, but life-threatening rip currents can still occur.

Remain alert, especially near piers, structures, and inlet areas where currents can be stronger and more complicated.

🚩 Physical Beach-Condition Flag

The physical beach-condition flag for Holden Beach is displayed at the Holden Beach Fire Station.

Physical flags are not posted at individual Beach Safety Stations or public beach accesses. Use the current National Weather Service forecast and conditions at your location when deciding whether to enter the ocean.

🪧 Public Beach Access Safety Signs

Public Beach Access Safety Signs and Beach Safety Stations are two different parts of Holden Beach's beach-safety system.

Beach Safety Stations are positioned along the strand approximately every 600 feet and provide emergency rescue flotation equipment and location identification.

Public Beach Access Safety Signs are located at public access points and provide beach-safety information, rip-current risk guidance, QR-code access to current conditions, and information to help visitors locate nearby emergency resources.

The QR codes on the public beach access signs are intended for beach-safety information and should not be confused with the QR codes and location identifiers associated with the Beach Safety Stations.

🔧 Help Us Keep the Stations Ready

Tri-Beach Fire Department crews routinely inspect the Beach Safety Stations and their rescue equipment during the beach season.

If you discover missing, damaged, or unusable rescue equipment, please report it to Tri-Beach Fire Department at 910-842-2333.

For an active water emergency, do not call the station number — CALL 911.

Please help us keep this life-saving equipment available for the next person who may need it.

Beach Safety Starts With You

Holden Beach is an unguarded beach with no lifeguards on duty.

Before entering the ocean:

• Check the current National Weather Service rip current forecast.

• Observe conditions at your location.

• Never swim alone.

• Closely supervise children.

• Know the location of the nearest Beach Safety Station.

• Know your limitations in the water.

If someone is in trouble in the water: CALL 911 — THROW, DON'T GO.