AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. – Red flags have been posted along the beach at Amelia Island signaling swimmers that the waters are rough and dangerous. This couldn't have come at a worse time for many tourists looking to vacation there for the Memorial Day weekend.
News4Jax spoke with the Holton family about this year's red-flagged weekend.
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JT Holton has been coming to Amelia Island since he was a baby. Ever since then it's been a family tradition to go there every Memorial Day weekend. Now that he has children of his own, his focus is on their safety -- keeping his eyes glued to his 3-year-old daughter.
Holton told News4Jax it’s especially important to make sure she doesn’t go out too far because his condo doesn’t have a lifeguard on duty.
“Luckily she doesn't go much past her toes,” Holton said.
The island is such an integral part of the Holton family that they named their daughter after it.
“We actually named our daughter Amelia because this is my second home. There's no better feeling than coming off the road, and rolling down the windows on the beach. So it made sense,” Holton said.
Amelia may have been a little shy talking to a reporter, but she wasn’t shy about one thing – when asked who’s island they were on, Amelia replied, “My island!”
Holton admits it's a bummer the waves are so rough this year, but says his family will be back next year because it's such a special place for them.