31-year-old man dies, others rescued after getting caught in rip current at Seaside Heights beach
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, New Jersey (WABC) -- A 31-year-old man in the water with his kids died after getting caught in rip current at a Seaside Heights beach in New Jersey on Monday.
The victim and four others, including his 16-year-old son, were pulled from the water around 7 p.m. -- two hours after lifeguard duty had ended.
First responders with the local fire department scuba team deployed two jet skis to rescue the distressed swimmers.
They were all taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where one swimmer was pronounced dead.
The ocean's a dangerous playground, it could take you in a second.Police Chief Thomas Boyd
Lifeguards usually leave around 5 p.m. and were not on duty during the time of the rescue. Beachgoers said the water was very rough, even for expert swimmers.
"The ocean's a dangerous playground, it could take you in a second," said Police Chief Thomas Boyd.
Seaside Heights officials say the Spanish-speaking group was a family from Trenton.
There are already signs in Spanish along the boardwalk warning beachgoers to swim at your own risk when a lifeguard is not on duty. But as a result of this incident, soon officials will add signs on the beach as well.
They will also close the beach early when conditions are rough.
"We usually let people come onto the beach until about 7 o'clock, but when we see bad waters as we have, and we'll se them again in the future, we're gonna close our gates... we'll close them between 5 and 6," said Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz.
Officials warned beachgoers who get stuck in a rip current to remember not to fight it.
"When people get sucked out they want to fight it and go straight, you gotta go to the sides or don't even fight it, let it take you out...you won't get tired, you won't inhale water," Boyd said. "They're getting so hyperventilated they start sucking in the sea water. Let it take you out, it'll just bring you around. And we'll get to you eventually, it doesn't matter, if you go out there nothing is gonna happen to you."
Meteorologist Jeff Smith explains what to do when you are trapped in a rip current.
Officials say it was the second rescue of the night at the beach. Just one hour earlier a woman was pulled about 30 yards offshore.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital and will be OK.
The drowning death came the same evening that a 77-year-old woman died after being rescued from the water in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn.
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