CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With heavy rainfall last week and now Tropical Storm Francine traveling through the Gulf, beach conditions have been less than ideal, forcing several drivers to call on a local rescue group to pull them out of those sticky situations.
"Every time it rains, or the weather is a little crazy we know we are going to get some calls," Hector Munoz a member of 361 Off-Road Rescue said. "For some reason it brings people out. You think it would keep them in, but it brings them out."
361 Off-Road Rescue is a group on Facebook made up of more than 20,000 people who have been on both sides of the tow strap.
"We all want to enjoy the beach, but we realize not everyone coming out here has the experience of being out here," Munoz said.
Whether you are local or not, most people know that soft sand is not your friend, but according to Munoz the higher tides and coastal floods are behind a lot of their recent rescues.
"A lot of people don't watch the tides and that's really what gets you," he said. "You park where it's not too bad now, then all of a sudden, that water comes around and sucks your tires in."
When it comes to problematic areas, another member, Jon Vasquez -- who's said he has had to do 30 rescues in a single weekend before-- said he's seen it all, but a few beaches are worse than others.
"Port Aransas," he said. "Port Aransas Jetty -- that was pretty much the worst."
He says PINS can be a problem spot, too, because cell service is hit or miss.
But you don't have to go far to find out your 4-wheel drive doesn't work.
"Here at Whitecap gets really really high," Vasquez said. "You can see up to the dunes. As you can see, all the puddles, that's just from last night."
One word of advice from the experts: regardless of if it's a sunny day or hurricane season, be cautious when driving on our beaches.
"Stay calm but once you start spinning out don't keep trying," Vasquez said.
More safety tips include:
- Letting someone know your location before heading out
- Keep water on your person
- Have a lock-out kit