ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Beachgoers along Orange Beach faced a rough mix of hazards Sunday, as the city’s Beach Safety Division, known locally as Molly’s Patrol, flew single red and purple flags to warn of dangerous surf and jellyfish in the water.
According to Sunday’s daily beach report, single red flags indicated a high hazard from high surf and strong currents, while purple flags signaled the presence of jellyfish. Beach Safety officials asked visitors to stay on shore given the conditions.
Sunday’s Conditions
The Gulf water temperature measured 83 degrees, with choppy surf running 3 to 4 feet and a strong east-running current. Officials rated the rip current forecast as high risk. Skies were mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely, and highs reached the upper 80s. West winds blew around 15 mph, and the UV index was rated very high. High tide was set for 2:52 a.m. and 11:04 a.m., with low tide at 4:43 a.m. and 6:43 p.m.
Residents and visitors can sign up for daily beach conditions and flag-status alerts by texting ALBEACHES to 888777, or receive broader weather alerts for the area by texting ALERTBALDWIN to the same number.
The History Behind Molly’s Patrol
Orange Beach’s lifeguard service traces its roots to 2008, when Surf Rescue began under the city’s Parks and Recreation Department with two lifeguards covering roughly seven and a half miles of coastline. On Jan. 1, 2012, the program moved under the Fire Department and was reorganized into the Beach Safety Division. Today, Surf Rescue operates as a Certified Lifeguard Agency under the United States Lifesaving Association, covering nearly eight miles of coastline from Flora-Bama to the Gulf State Park Pavilion.
The division operates seasonally from March 1 through Oct. 31, with staffing of 33 employees, including six full-time positions, three part-time supervisors and 24 temporary or seasonal lifeguards. Guards staff seven stationary towers at public beach access points — Shell Beach, Alabama Point East, Cotton Bayou, the COASTAL/Resident Beach, Romar Beach and Phoenix West II/The Oasis at Orange Beach — while roving units patrol the rest of the coastline using UTVs, beach trucks and jet skis.
Honoring Molly Bryant
The patrol’s name honors Molly Bryant, a 15-year-old who drowned in a rip current in July 2003 while swimming during a youth church trip to the Gulf Coast. Before her death, Molly had spent part of her final summer on a mission trip ministering to homeless children in San Francisco, an experience that shaped her desire to devote her life to children’s ministry.
Molly’s parents, Tommy and Rebecca Bryant, later donated to establish what became known as Molly’s Patrol in her memory, working to advance beach and water safety standards along the Alabama coast. The program continues to focus on educating beachgoers about the hidden dangers of rip currents and other hazards as part of Molly’s ongoing legacy.