In opening its 19th lifeguard tower on Tuesday, June 10, the South Walton Fire District is now the professional beach safety services provider for WaterSound Beach. According to a SWFD Facebook post, the tower is funded through a contractual agreement between SWFD and St. Joe Resort Operations, LLC, alongside support from the WaterSound Beach Homeowners Association. Officials said adding a tower means enhancing beach safety services in what lifeguards have historically considered the โSeven Mile Stretch,โ a name derived from the area of South Walton beaches where there are no on-site lifeguard coverage, emergency access challenges and consistently high-call volume.
โThe seven miles can tax our resources quickly, but frankly it isnโt just about emergency responses to any of the unguarded beaches,โ said SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan. โThe absence of official lifeguard services means itโs more challenging to educate face-to-face and prevent emergencies from happening altogether. The bulk of what we do is prevention, but without the opportunity to have a presence, prevention doesnโt happen as easily.โ The South Walton Fire District has added four towers since the start of the 2025 Beach Safety Season and are continually hiring seasonal and full-time lifeguards of all experience levels.
