Beach Safety Tips to Live By, Literally

Beach safety tips produce their own bible.

Timeless, accurate, and open for updates, they have the same effect as the Good Book to the congregation of tourists up and down the New Jersey Shore.

The Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City and Upper Township communities take their place in that process, constantly revealing safety nuggets for the public good.

Somber reinforcement

Sadly, an early June tragedy in Avon-by-the-Sea underscored a prominent belief held by local beach patrol captains: the need to swim in front of a lifeguard.

A man drowned trying to rescue his daughter in an area not protected by a lifeguard.

“I cannot emphasize the word ‘tragically’ enough when I heard about that,” says Matt Wolf, the Avalon Beach Patrol chief. “That guy was 39 years old, literally my age, trying to save his daughter.

“I told the patrol about it the very next morning, reminding them that we say it every time we go out on the water and at least a thousand other times. That is, we are there to make sure nobody drowns. For the public, I would say to swim in front of a lifeguard.

“That’s why we have lifeguards,” he adds. “That’s why they have so much training, that’s why there is so much preparation, equipment, salaries, whatever else you want to call it. It’s all there for one thing: to make sure nobody drowns. So, if that’s why all of that is there, please utilize the lifeguards.”

Swim in front of them. When in doubt about anything, ask for help.

Wolf says that most of the rescues conducted by his patrol are of young children who are not too far out in the water. For reasons like this, Avalon actually has a guard stationed in the water, he says. Not just on the stands, but in the water.

Sandy Bosacco, the captain of the Stone Harbor Beach Patrol, adds another angle to this concept. He warns against people swimming during the hours in which there are no guards, extending the philosophy to the guards themselves.

Even college athletes in excellent condition must respect the power of the water, he has asserted.

Here are some information tips from the Avalon and Stone Harbor communities.

Avalon

• Beware of the cliffs that have formed, especially on the north side of the Avalon, in the aftermath of recent dredging activities. The danger is playing on the edge of a cliff, possibly being trapped inside the sand and maybe even taking a bad step, resulting in a broken ankle.

• Become educated about rip currents. Avalon Beach Patrol has an excellent safety series on its website.

• Smoking is prohibited on public beaches under New Jersey state law.

• Picnicking on the beach is permitted; please place refuse in trash and recycling containers.

• Prohibited activities also include fires/open flames, alcoholic beverages, bottles, glass, sharp objects, loud noise, indecent language/actions.

• No sleeping on the beach or boardwalk from sunset to sunrise.

• Use beach paths; trespassing on dunes and in the areas posted for endangered beach-nesting birds is strictly prohibited.

• By municipal ordinance, the beach is closed to the public daily between the hours of 9pm-4am.

• Please be mindful that unattended holes left on the beach can cause injury to others, especially as night falls. Please be sure you fill in any holes before you leave them unattended. Never climb into a hole that has been dug on the beach as the sand may become unstable and cause an unintended entrapment.

Stone Harbor

Here is an excerpt from the borough website about an unusual occurrence, a shark bite:

According to Stone Harbor officials, on May 21st, at approximately 3:00 pm, emergency services in Stone Harbor responded to a 911 call reporting a surfer who had sustained injuries from a possible shark attack while surfing in the waters off the 109th Street beach.

The Stone Harbor Police Department, along with the Fire and Rescue Squads, promptly arrived at the scene to provide assistance.

The injured surfer, identified as a 15-year-old female from Pennsylvania, sustained several lacerations to her left foot and calf and received immediate onsite medical treatment from Stone Harbor Fire/Rescue.

Subsequently, the juvenile was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center for further evaluation and care, where she received 6 stitches. Fortunately, the injuries were assessed as non-life-threatening.

Fortunately for this surfer, who was in the water before the formal start of beach-patrol coverage, help was nearby. But one cannot always count on that.

Top 10 Tips from the United States Lifesaving Association

1. Swim near a lifeguard: Reports from lifeguard agencies nationwide consistently show that the odds of a swimmer fatally drowning at a beach protected by USLA affiliated lifeguards is 1 in 18 million (.0000055%).

2. Learn to swim: Participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning death by 88%. Learning to swim means much more than learning strokes; it is learning water survival skills, water safety, and developing comfort and confidence in the water.

3. Learn rip current safety: Relax, rip currents do not pull you under. Don’t swim against the current. You may be able to escape by swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline, or toward breaking waves, then at an angle toward the beach. You may be able to escape by floating or treading water if the current circulates back toward shore. If you feel you will be unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself. If you need help, yell and wave for assistance.

4. Never swim alone: Multiply your odds of surviving a crisis by having another person to yell for help or gain the attention of a lifeguard.

5. Designate a water watcher: When enjoying the beach with a group, make sure to designate a “Water Watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep an eye on those in the water at all times. This is not a substitute for a lifeguard.

6. Alcohol and water don’t mix: Alcohol influences balance, coordination, and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.

7. Feet first water entry: Life-altering injuries from spinal damage, including paraplegia, occur every year on our nation’s beaches. The most common cause is diving headfirst and striking the bottom. In addition, surfing, bodyboarding, and bodysurfing can lead to spinal injuries if precautions are not taken to avoid striking the bottom headfirst. Check for depth and obstructions before entering the water, then go in feet first; and use caution when riding waves, always extending arms ahead of the body.

8. Life jackets save lives: More of a boating emphasis. Some 77% of fatalities associated with boating accidents are from drowning, and 84% of those were not wearing life jackets.

9. Observe signs and flags: Read the signs upon arrival to learn about hazards specific to that beach and local regulations. Also, look for flags flown by lifeguards to advise of hazards and temporary restrictions in effect.

10. Beat the heat, block the sun: To protect yourself, drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol. Take breaks inside during the hottest parts of the day. Use “broad spectrum” sunscreen rated from 15 to 50 SPF and reapply throughout the day. Use UPF protective clothing that covers the skin. Protect the eyes by wearing sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays.

This is the just the start of nearly an infinite supply of beach-safety tips. Beach patrols and publications like this one devote extended space to them because one nugget of information can save a life.