BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Flotation devices are credited with helping to save the lives of two people in Brevard County last week.

  • Flotation devices help save lives at Brevard beaches
  • Drown Zero devices have been added to multiple beaches
  • Two people were rescued last week 

Recently, 42 new Drown Zero flotation devices arrived at Space Coast beaches. In 2016 they had about 100 of the old model flotation devices, but Hurricane Irma washed all but one of them away. It took former Ocean Rescue Chief and current Rotary Club of Cocoa Beach president Wyatt Werneth a couple of years to bring the devices back but as a new model.

"We saved two lives this past Wednesday so it's proven to work," Werneth said. "You grab it off the station throw it into the water and save a life."

Werneth says with an average of five drownings a year and already three this year in the county, every second counts. With more than two hundred beach access points in the county, lifeguards at more than 20 towers have their work cut out for them.

And many miles of sand don't have lifeguards.

"We want to swim near a lifeguard, but if you can't swim near a lifeguard the city of Cocoa Beach and rotary club are providing these flotation devices to give people a fighting change while they wait for a lifeguard to get there," Werneth said.

Rotary Club of Cocoa Beach worked with the city to make the Drown Zero flotation devices accessible to beachgoers. They need more people to sponsor or "adopt" in order to continue bringing more devices to the beaches.

Adoptions cost a dollar a day and Coconuts on the Beach adopted about 20 of them.

Cocoa Beach resident John Mays says two years ago he remembers the old yellow tube flotation devices half way down the beach. Mays is glad to see Drown Zero back on the beach especially since the residential side of Cocoa Beach beaches don't have lifeguards.

"I think they need to be in place," Mays said. "It's a good thing they are there and I'm glad they used it to save the child."

"I personally have witnessed over 40 drownings in my tenure as lifeguard chief," Werneth posted on Facebook. "The majority of drownings occur when someone attempts to go in and save a swimmer in distress without a flotation device. This life saving concept is being used on beaches all over the world with great success. We are happy to have it back in Cocoa Beach!"