Rip Currents At The Jersey Shore : How To Spot, Avoid, And React

It was just a little past 6 p.m. on June 15, 2017 when the 911 call came in to Belmar police. Two young local girls, ages 12 and 13, made the decision to go swimming on an unguarded beach in the ocean off 9th and 10th avenues.

That decision eventually cost the girls — both students at the Belmar Elementary School — their lives.
Summer had not even started and lifeguards were not on duty that day when the girls got into trouble. The National Weather Service had forecast a moderate risk of dangerous rip currents forming along the Jersey Shore that day.

The 12-year-old lingered in critical condition for several days. Her 13-year-old cousin died at Jersey Shore University Medical Center shortly after she was pulled from the waves.

People die every day from rip currents during the summer months. And chances are, more will die at the Jersey Shore during the summer of 2018.

There's a common denominator in most deaths from rip currents: Swimming on an unguarded beach.

The ocean water can be deceiving, It can be a beautiful, cloudless day with a seemingly calm surf. But although you may not see them, powerful rip currents may be churning in the surf, ready to pull you from the shoreline and out to sea.

"Great weather for the beach does not always mean it's safe to swim or even play in the shallows," according to the National Weather Service. "Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days."

But even if you have the misfortune to be caught in a rip current, if you stay calm and follow the advice of, there's a good chance you can save yourself.

To avoid becoming caught in a rip current, follow these rules:

• Swim in guarded areas only
• Avoid swimming in holes between sandbars
• Do not swim during periods of rough surf
• Watch for areas of discolored or rippled water
• Never swim alone
• If you become caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore until free of the current

National Weather Service Advice On How to Survive a Rip Current:

• Don't fight the current. It's a natural treadmill that travels an average speed of 1-2 feet per second, but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second—faster than an Olympic swimmer.
• Relax and float to conserve energy. Staying calm may save your life.
• Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. 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. Remember: If in doubt, don't go out.

Photos: Courtesy of National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.