New Jersey beaches face high rip current risk on crowded Labor Day
BELMAR, N.J. -- New Jersey beaches faced a high rip current risk on a very hot and crowded Labor Day.
In Belmar, many people flocked to the Jersey Shore to squeeze in a few more hours of sunshine.
"End of summer. So I'm here, just vibing out with my friends," said Jay Boyce, of Morristown.
"They started school already in Pennsylvania. So we decided just to soak up the last few days of summer," said Mandy Hershey, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "We decided to come and the swimming's been great so far. You just have to be careful."
Officials have been warning beachgoers there's an increased risk of rip currents at least through Tuesday.
"That's a very dangerous thing. So I'm trying to stay over here, safe as we can, but have fun also at the same time," said Mick Jackson, of Morristown.
On Sunday evening, at least five people were rescued from the surf in Belmar. They went swimming right after lifeguards went off-duty.
"And as we got there, we already had lifeguards in the water, keeping people afloat. So myself and my crew, we sent out a line and just started doing our best to try and get people in," said Captain Mike Dahrough, of the Belmar Beach Patrol.
Still, the rip currents proved to be deadly.
"But as we were conducting that rescue, about 50 to 100 yards to our north, I saw some other lifeguards going in down there. And, unfortunately, they retrieved a person who was unconscious," said Chief Lifeguard Harry Harsin.
That swimmer, a 42-year-old man, died.
"This is the first time that I've been involved in having to do CPR and culminating in the loss of a life. Processing the loss of one to the saving of five, it's not the same feeling, for sure," said Dahrough, a lifeguard in Belmar for 18 years.
In Beach Haven, about 50 miles south, witnesses said swimmers created a human chain to rescue a man caught in a rip current. The 21-year-old man died despite their efforts.
About 20 miles south in Seaside Park, officials say six swimmers got caught up in a rip current on Sunday at around 6:30 p.m. Five of those victims were rescued, but the sixth was still missing on Monday. Officials did eventually call off that search.
Over in Long Branch, the water was a big hit this weekend. But with the crowds came strict warnings about the dangerous rip currents.
"I had to keep swimming back this way because I felt I was getting swept away," one person said.
Lifeguards were kept busy monitoring swimmers and keeping them away from the strong undertow.
"You're not going to win against the power of water. You're just gonna get exhausted," said Nancy Fields of Skillman.
Officials said people should never swim in the ocean when lifeguards are off-duty.