Dozens Of Swimmers Rescued After Hours From Jersey Shore Waters, Officials Say

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Beachgoers are being urged to stay out of the water when lifeguards are off-duty following a chaotic Sunday evening with dozens of water rescues across Ocean County.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office sent out an alert at 7 p.m. Sunday saying "everyone please stay out of the water." Rip currents were very strong and lifeguards were no longer on duty, officials said.

Seaside Heights Assistant Fire Chief Tim Farrell told Patch that they had 18 rescues after 5 p.m. Sunday. This included Seaside Heights, Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park and Ocean Beach in Toms River, he said.

Ages of those rescued ranged from 10 to 48 and all areas were unguarded, Farrell said.

Seaside Park Sgt. Andrew Casole told Patch that four men and three women were rescued from Stockton Avenue Beach between 5 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. Sunday, with one man being hospitalized.

In Brick Township, there were two calls on Sunday for swimmers in distress. One involved three people shortly before 5 p.m., Patrol Officer Terence Berkeley said, and the second was just after 9 p.m. involving one person. Two of the three people in the early incident and the person in the 9 p.m. incident were able to get out of the water before police arrived, he said. There were no injuries reported.

All others who were rescued were treated on the beach and released, officials said.

Rip currents are responsible for many drownings at the Jersey Shore and can form even when the weather looks perfect. Even the most skilled swimmers can get caught in a rip current, which is why officials urge beachgoers to keep out of the water when lifeguards aren't on duty.

If you do happen to get caught in a rip current, here's what you should do, according to the National Weather Service.

• Relax. A rip current won't pull you under.
• A rip current is a "natural treadmill" that travels an average speed of 1 to 2 feet per second, but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second - faster than an Olympic swimmer. Don't try to swim against it; this will only use up your energy.
• Don't try to swim directly to the shore. Instead, swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
• If you feel you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore and call or wave for help.
• Swim only at beaches with lifeguards if possible.
• If you do swim at a beach without a lifeguard, never swim alone. Take a friend and make sure they have a cellphone, so they can call 911 if needed.