- Thousands head to Port Aransas beaches to beat the heat for Memorial Day Weekend
- There are excessive heat warnings in place for the entirety of the weekend
- Port Aransas EMS and Port Aransas Surf Rescue Team are prepared for an influx of heat-related emergency calls this weekend
- Need to take extra precautions if you are consuming alcohol outside in the heat
Port Aransas is no stranger to hosting an influx of crowds, especially on holiday weekends. The crowds have started rolling in for Memorial Day Weekend, and so have the heat warnings.
There are excessive heat warnings in place in the Coastal Bend for the entirety of Memorial Day Weekend. Port Aransas EMS and the Surf Rescue Team are prepared for a surplus of emergency calls this weekend. According to Port Aransas EMS, they responded to 12 heat-related emergencies last Memorial Day Weekend.
“Anybody who’s not used to this, people who don’t work outside, people who work inside that typically don’t have to deal with the sun, especially in the summertime, it’s going to be very very hot," Clay Hagedorn, Port Aransas Surf Rescue Lifeguard Paramedic, said. "You’re not going to be used to what the sun is gonna throw at you, especially when you’ve been out here for four to six hours and especially once you start throwing alcohol into that mix. We highly advise for every drink you have out here, you have, at minimum, a full bottle of water as well.”
The most important precautions to take in extreme heat warnings are staying hydrated, reapplying sunscreen, getting breaks indoors, and monitoring alcohol intake.
“Number one. Stay hydrated. Dehydration can sneak up on you very quickly, so it’s important to stay hydrated, drink electrolytes, and wear sunscreen as well," John “Elliott” Tabor, Port Aransas EMS Lieutenant Paramedic, said. "We see a lot of sunburn emergencies down there, people just not putting on sunscreen and then they’ll call us a couple hours later because their sunburn is excruciating.”
Visitors like Kristen Caffey from San Antonio are taking precautions.
“Just making sure to hydrate, drink a lot of water, and stay in the shade and get in the pool. Every like 20 to 30 minutes we’re reapplying on us, on these little guys, so we don’t get burned," Caffey said.
Port Aransas EMS is making extra preparations as they put an additional ambulance vehicle on duty for the weekend. Port Aransas EMS and Surf Rescue will both be patrolling the beaches regularly throughout the weekend.
“This is a party city. There’s a lot of people here that have been consuming alcohol. And I just want to say, we see a lot of dehydration emergencies related to alcohol use," Tabor said.
If you are consuming alcoholic beverages outdoors in the heat, even more cautionary steps need to be taken to avoid a medical emergency.
“Me personally, I would highly recommend that everybody who comes out here, in addition to the water while drinking, have an additional half gallon to gallon of water if you’re going to be out here for more than a couple of hours," Hagedorn said.
In addition to plenty of water to drink, first responders also recommend having coolers full of ice and cold towels handy in your car.
"If there is any heat-related emergencies, we are prepared to handle them. We have active cooling measures, re-hydration, and we also carry water on our ambulance. If we see someone on the beach who may look a little dehydrated, we will give out free complementary water bottles," Tabor said.
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