By ESTEVAN MEDRANO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
press@portisabelsouthpadre.com
February 19, 2015
It isn’t just on land where law enforcement will be needed next month on South Padre Island. The curling, foaming surf can catch inexperienced vacationers off guard with its unfamiliarity and unpredictability. Rip tides, shallow areas, silting, rocks and thick vegetation all pose a danger to swimmers, surfers and boaters cruising the Gulf of Mexico. Few are more aware of these risks than the people who work at the local U.S. Coast Guard installation. As Spring Break approaches, they, too, are making preparations to be sure that the laws of the land carry over beyond the shoreline.
The following segment is the third of a weekly series leading up to Spring Break informing the Laguna Madre community of the preparations local entities are making as they gear up to host Spring Break SPI 2015.
U.S. Coast Guard
Just as unpredictable as the sea itself is the behavior of those found cruising the waters. A search and rescue can quickly turn into an arrest due to boaters not following boating laws or driving a boat under the influence. The reverse situation can occur as well, for example, just earlier this month four Mexican nationals who were being pursued for fishing illegally in the Gulf of Mexico had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after their boat began sinking.
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