A red light that puzzled Cocoa Beach residents for weeks has been identified as part of a new safety system to warn swimmers of dangerous rip currents. The discovery came after a local resident spent hours researching the device and contacting city officials. The light is one of several installed along the coastline as part of a $250,000 project funded by the City of Cocoa Beach in 2023. City officials confirmed the system uses motion sensors and weather data to activate the lights when hazardous conditions are detected. The device is visible from the beach and nearby boardwalk, flashing red when lifeguards assess rip currents as a threat. The city said the system is designed to supplement existing lifeguard patrols and signage. Similar warnings are already in use at New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach, but Cocoa Beach's installation is the first in the area to use automated sensors. The system is part of a broader effort by city leaders to reduce drownings, which have averaged 12 per year in Brevard County since 2018. City Manager Mark Thompson said the project was prioritized after a 2022 incident in which two teenagers were swept into the ocean by a rip current near the beach. The resident who solved the mystery, who asked not to be named, said they noticed the light during a walk and became curious after seeing it activate unexpectedly. They cross-referenced the device with city infrastructure plans and reached out to the public works department. Officials praised the resident's initiative, calling it a 'model of community engagement.' The system has already triggered alerts twice this month, prompting beachgoers to heed warnings from lifeguards. City officials plan to expand the system next year, adding more sensors along the 1.5-mile stretch of beachfront. The project has also included installing additional warning flags and updating signage to indicate the new alert system. Local surf instructors have welcomed the change, saying it gives swimmers more time to react. 'It's a simple solution that could save lives,' said one instructor, who has taught safety courses at the beach for 15 years.