Police: Woman Believed To Have Drowned In Atlantic City In ICU
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- A woman who went swimming after life guards went off duty and believed to have drowned last night in Atlantic City is alive, according to police.
Police say the woman was revived at the hospital and is now in the ICU.
Authorities say she apparently coded when beach patrol was last involved, so it was communicated to police as a drowning.
Atlantic City Police say she was pulled out about 200 yards around around 7 p.m. Monday off of an unguarded beach near South Carolina Avenue and caught in a rip tide. She was unconscious when she was recovered by the Atlantic City Beach Patrol.
Police say she is a 59-year-old woman from New Hampshire.
The National Weather Service is urging swimmers to be very cautious, noting a moderate risk of riptides along many shore areas because of tropical storm Bertha.
Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief and Superintendent Rod Aluise says when there are drownings it's almost always when lifeguards are not on duty.
"We like to take opportunity when we talk about these tragedies to educate the public to take the ocean seriously – that's it's a very powerful uncontrolled natural force," says Aluise.
Swimmers were kept waist deep and floats were prohibited on Tuesday. Children and adults alike had a hard time staying on their feet as the waves and current were intensified by Tropical Storm Bertha passing offshore.
"One wave just knocked me over and rolled me right over," says Atlantic City visitor Larry Greiner. "We've come down here a lot over the years but I can't recall the waves being this rough."
You may also be interested in these stories: