What Does It Mean When A Beach Lifeguard Blows The Whistle Three Times?

When you see a red flag at a beach, that means that it's not safe to get into the water, and if there's a yellow flag beach warning, it means to take extra care if you're going swimming. But flags aren't the only signals you should be paying attention to. If you're at a beach with lifeguards, you might hear their whistles. Some lifeguards have radios that they use for communication, but there's nothing that can deliver a message as quickly and loudly as a whistle. The number of whistle blasts means different things. If you ever hear a beach lifeguard blowing their whistle three times quickly in a row, that typically means there's a critical, life threatening emergency taking place and that anyone and everyone on their team who can come help needs to do so ASAP.

It's the most severe whistle alert that you could encounter at the beach, and hopefully, you or a loved one is never in a situation where it would have to be employed. If you do happen to hear three whistle blows, you should get out of the water even if you're not the one actively in danger (the lifeguards are going to be focused on the emergency at hand, and you don't want to add to it). You should also be prepared to follow any instructions the lifeguards might give, like to call 911.

The beach lifeguard whistle is also used in less severe situations. If you hear one blast, that means the lifeguard is trying to get someone's attention. You should look to the lifeguard stand to see if you're that someone. It could be that you need to get out of the water or that you need to stop digging a hole in the sand (it could be deadly if it's too deep). If you stop what you're doing at one whistle, the situation shouldn't escalate to getting two or more blasts.

If you hear two quick blasts from a lifeguard whistle, that means they're leaving their lifeguard stand or post to address a potentially dangerous situation. It's a signal to other lifeguards that their post is going to be empty and will need coverage and that those nearby should be on high alert.

It might seem annoying to have to pay attention to the shrill blast of a lifeguard's whistle while you're in the middle of a fun beach day. But it could very well save your life.