Some local swimming advisories lifted

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WALA) - The gulf waters were an integral part to the Johnson family reunion along the Gulf Coast. So when the Alabama Department of Public Health decided to lift the swimming advisories for Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Kerry Meeker and his daughter, Caroline, dove right in.

"I have two little kids, so I don't really have a choice!" joked Kerry Meeker about jumping in the water. "But really, there was no hesitation at all."

"It was really clear and blue," added his 11-year-old daughter, Caroline. "There wasn't any oil. I was really disappointed there weren't any waves out their today."

The health department replaced red swimming advisories with yellow precaution signs. Officials say even though oil may not be visible, oil products could still be in the sand or water. But Meeker said the water was all he could hope for.

"It's blue, it's beautiful. I don't see any oil. I did some snorkeling. It was great."

Meeker, one of 26 family members that came to the coast from Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, and Arizona, hopes more people visit the Gulf Coast, especially if the water is safe.

"Any hesitance at all, they should come out and see for themselves. It's beautiful here."

The precaution signs urge beach-goers: avoid direct skin contact with oil, do not handle tarballs, wash tar balls on skin with soap or water, don't use harsh detergents to wash oil from clothing or the body, and to leave any area of the beach if odors cause discomfort.