March 26, 2012 -- Spring break usually means fun times, including visits to the Oregon Coast. With spring break finally here, large numbers of students and their families will be playing, swimming, and lounging on the beach. Portland Fire & Rescue wants to remind citizens to play it safe on Oregon’s beaches.

Historically, March has more fatalities in Oregon’s coastal waters than any other month.

“In the case of most drowning fatalities, victims are visitors of the coast,” said Portland Fire Public Information Officer Paul Corah. “We encourage Portlanders – and all Oregonians – to know about and watch for hidden dangers on the coast this spring and summer.”

Citizens can be proactive by heeding the following advice and passing these helpful tips along to other individuals and families they see engaging in potentially risky behavior on a beach, a cliff, or in the water:

• Beware of sneaker waves – never turn your back on the ocean.
• Watch for logs – if you see a log in the sand or on the surf, stay off it
• Look out for rip currents and deep water – stay in shallow water
• Know the tides – stay off rocks and small, enclosed beaches
• Assume high waves can reach you – waves can sweep over rocks, jetties, and headlands and knock you off
• Heads up – beware of falling rocks and stay off bluffs and hillsides

Have a safe spring break!