Safe Swimming: Beach Safety Tips Every Visitor Should Know
Beach days are relaxing, but that doesn’t mean you can let safety fall to the wayside this summer
Remember, when swimming this summer, Diane Concannon, the communications director for the American Red Cross New Jersey Region, stresses, “swim as a pair by a lifeguard’s chair.”
“That’s just one of those things that we like people to know and always abide by,” Diane said. “Swim as a pair, don’t swim alone, even though some people think it’s very soothing. But you know, you just never know. “So don’t swim alone. Swim as a pair.”
And use a water watcher.
“I can’t stress how important that is in every type of setting,” Diane said. “Now, if you’re talking about the beach, of course, we want to see families by the lifeguard chair, and most of the time we do. We see those little clusters of all the blankets and umbrellas that are by the lifeguard’s chair, which I’m always grateful to see.
“But that young person that’s in that chair is responsible for all those bodies in the water. So we should always have a water watcher. Maybe it’s one of the parents that’s always going to have eyes on the children and then switch off – you’re watching for this half hour, and the second half hour, it’s somebody else that’s watching.”
The Ocean City Beach Patrol strongly urges bathers to swim only at guarded beaches.
The OCBP guards beaches from 10am to 5:30pm weekends and holidays, and from 10am to 5pm on weekdays.
Lifeguard stands may not be located exactly at street ends since, depending on water conditions, guards will place the stand in the safest area.
Check their website to see the guarded beach report, which is updated daily. If you have any questions, call 609-525-9200. For all emergencies, call 911.
Even at a guarded beach, according to the Red Cross, drowning victims are most often rescued by people nearby, not trained professionals, simply because they are closest to the incident. More than 60 percent of bystander rescues happen before help arrives.
So, bystanders are often the first line of defense.
“Everyone near water plays a role in keeping people safe,” said Wendy Vara, regional executive, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “Whether it’s a child, a friend or a stranger, you may be the only person in a position to recognize distress and respond.”
The Red Cross, a nonprofit that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission, states drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for young children and people under age 30.
The organization, which provides programs and services to more than nine million in New Jersey and mobilizes more than 5,500 volunteers, reminds families that drowning is preventable, but often silent.
A drowning can happen in less than a minute, even in just a few inches of water.
“We all think of the movie scenes where somebody’s thrashing in the water and there’s, they’re screaming, ‘help, help,’ and they’re waving their arms,” Diane said. “That’s usually not the case at all.
“The person struggling goes under, comes up, and they’re just fighting for air. So they are not waving their arms around. They’re in trouble, and they go under again. Keep the eyes on the children at all times.
“And then the very important part too, especially with the ocean: throw, don’t go,” Diane added. “We see someone who might be having trouble or we’re assuming they’re having trouble in the water. It’s always best to either throw that life preserver or even like a noodle or a boogie board to reach that person, because you could become part of the disaster.”
The person drowning is frantic, Diane explained, and they may grab you, climb onto you, and pull you under the water, too.
“So don’t reach,” she said.
The Red Cross offers a safety program geared for children with its recently revamped WHALE Tales Water Safety. A program has been added in Spanish, completely translated.
Without having to be in or near the water, this free program helps children from kindergarten through fifth grade learn vital water safety behaviors.
WHALE Tales are short and engaging lessons that cover important water safety topics in different environments, including waterparks and pools.
“The same thing goes for backyard swimming pools. Keep that cell phone away from the pool,” Diane said. “Only keep it close enough to reach and run for in the case of an emergency, but do not be looking at your phone and just counting on your ears to watch a child in the pool. Do not do that.”
WHALE Tales can be accessed at redcross.org/WHALEtales.
And, if you’re a parent or caregiver teaching your own children water safety, visit redcross.org.watersafetyforkids.
“And that’s a free program for kids too, so why not on a rainy day instead of their iPads watching something else, let them see this program so that they’re more equipped when they jump in the pool or when they go to the beach or when they’re tubing in the river,” Diane said. “Kids should be informed. And this is a free program, absolutely free, with great advice for young children on water safety.”
Also, go to redcross.org/watersafety for swim program information and a variety of resources. The Red Cross Swim app can help children and adults learn with kid-friendly video and activities on mobile devices.
“We have an emergency app, too,” Diane added, “which everybody should have on their phone.”
By Kevin Callahan