Over the recent Labor Day weekend, the convergence of excellent weather and massive crowds brought forth a major challenge to the lifeguards at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. With a total of 91 ocean rescues occurring from Saturday through Monday, these brave professionals were pushed to their limits in ensuring the safety of beachgoers, as rip currents threatened the lives of many.
According to the Boston Globe, Labor Day saw some of the most favorable weather conditions for beachgoers all summer, with large crowds eager to make the most of their holiday. However, the beautiful weather coincided with high tide-generating full moons, and residual surf and rip currents from recent storms, creating a hazardous environment for swimmers.
Lifeguard Chief Patrick Murphy, of New Hampshire State Beach Patrol, explained the enormity of the challenge, stating, "It has been a busy summer, at this point we’ve had over 400 rescues this summer. Yesterday was one of the biggest crowds we’ve seen this summer. It’s been some of the best weather all summer. And our rip currents are very strong."
The perilous rip currents did not discriminate against swimmers, a fact which becomes evident when considering that 37 individuals had to be saved on Sunday alone, while six more were rescued before lifeguards were even on duty the following Monday morning, as CBS Boston reported. Thankfully, despite the potential life-threatening danger of being caught in a rip current, there have been no reported injuries resulting from these incidents.
To help prevent such occurrences in the future, experts have shared advice on how swimmers can escape or mitigate the dangers of rip currents. As reported by the CBS Boston and the National Weather Service, those caught in a rip current should avoid attempting to outpower it; instead, they should swim laterally, away from it, or calmly go with the current until it slows down, at which point they can swim diagonally towards the shore.
