\u201cSafety first\u201d is the key message when enjoying North Carolina\u2019s surf zone \u2014 not only for the Independence Day holiday, but throughout the summer and into the fall.<\/p>\n
Along the state\u2019s oceanfront, officials suspect at least three deaths in June likely were caused by strong rip currents that pulled swimmers away from shore.<\/p>\n
One occurred on Bogue Banks, as a father tried to save his daughters. Two others were along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore<\/a> in areas that do not have lifeguards. Two more swimming-related deaths on the seashore were not witnessed, thus officials do not know if rip currents were involved.<\/p>\n