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Subscribe to RSSFriends sob on the shore as hopes fade in finding an 18-year-old swept out to sea by unusually strong current. WNBC's Gus Rosendale reports.
Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET: Two swimmers who vanished in rip currents off the New Jersey shore were found drowned Thursday.
Both incidents occurred at beaches where no lifeguards were on duty.
Garrett Giberson, public information officer for the Asbury Park fire department, told NJ.com, website of the Star-Ledger newspaper. “Basically the bottom line is this: When lifeguards are off duty, stay out of the water. Rip tides are dangerous and obviously deadly. It's not worth your life."
The Asbury Park Press reportedthat authorities believe the body recovered in about 15 feet of water 200 yards offshore in Asbury Park’s 2nd Avenue beach is Chazmin Miles, 23, of Irvington.
Miles disappeared while trying to help his younger sister, who was rescued Wednesday evening.
See the Star-Ledger photo gallery
Hot in Northeast? 'You ain't seen nothing yet'
The body of Bestavros Faris, 18, of Bayonne, was pulled early Thursday afternoon from waters about 150 yards offshore from the O Street beach in Seaside Park, where he disappeared a day earlier, NBCNewYork.com reported.
Andrew Mills / The Star-Ledger
Asbury Park firefighter Brett Nielson pauses as he prepares to enter the surf, Thursday, to search for the body of a 23-year-old man who disappeared while swimming after lifeguards had gone off duty Wednesday in Asbury Park, N.J. The body was recovered after a short search by divers.
"The wave grabbed him far away from me," friend Andrew Messiha told NBCNewYork.com. "I was standing near the shore. He called for help, but no one came because there was no lifeguard."
Faris and his friends were sucked into the currents late Wednesday afternoon; rescuers managed to retrieve three swimmers.
Faris' friends and family had kept vigil on the beach into the night, crying and praying as they waited for news but declined to speak with NBCNewYork.com after the body was found.
"It's very unusual to deal with these rip currents this time of year," Seaside Park Police Chief Francis Larkin told NBCNewYork.com. "Usually, it's hurricane season in September."
Newark, N.J., on Wednesday saw a record high of 98 degrees and relentless heat was expected to continue Thursday.
Strong rip currents kept rescuers busy elsewhere along the Jersey Shore. In Perth Amboy, two children were rescued from the water by a 36-year-old bystander and his 17-year-old son. The rescuers administered CPR to one child.
Andrew Mills / The Star-Ledger
Asbury Park firefighters, N.J. State Police Troopers and U.S. Coast Guard personnel work Thursday to recover a body about 200 yards offshore at the 2nd Avenue beach in Asbury Park, where a 23-year-old man disappeared while swimming after lifeguards had gone off duty yesterday.
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Very sad.
We had this happen off St. Simon's island last week. We lose a few tourists EVERY YEAR to rip currents.
If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Trying to swim against it will only tire you out to the point of exhaustion and drowning.
Try to swim parallel to shore, perpendicular to the rip current, rather than into shore. Concentrate on staying afloat so you can be rescued.
If you swim parallel to shore, you may find yourself out of the rip current, and able to swim ashore at that point. Trying to fight the current rarely works.
And when you see signs that say "caution, strong rip currents" pay attention to them.
Event the strongest triathlon swimmers can't fight a rip current.
That's what they taught is in Red Cross swimming classes, back in the day (1970's). I wonder if they still teach that or not?
Kudos to the 2 bystanders that resuced the children in Perth Amboy. World needs more people like you.
Why is it that people just refuse to believe that rip currents are deadly? Is it their egos are so large that they think they can out-swim a rip current?
As sad as this story is, there really is no excuse for anyone to die from a rip current. All you have to do is STAY OUT OF THE WATER!
Yeah, keep in mind that everyone floats in salt water, with a few exceptions, mostly teen age boys and really skinny adults. Simply do not swallow the salt water or panic. Swim, dog paddle or tread water and move parallel to the shore. Dog paddle is very efficient, keeps your head out of the water and is comfortable for most people, slow but sure, don't use too much energy.
Parents keep an eye on your children, if only one parent, you don't go into the water with the kids. If two, one stays on shore. Don't drink booze while at the beach.
If you want to be really safe there are some inexpensive inflation belts that you can purchase. SOS suspender life belt is available for around $75, looks like a fanny pack and doesn't interfere with body surfing or board surfing. Pull the lanyard and you are floating. Actually kind of fun. If you are on beaches with no lifeguards, this does the job. I use this when I am in a deserted beach, and it has worked nicely. It does look stupid though.
Rip currents nothing. I don't go in the ocean because of the whale poop!
This is a SAD story,that brought me to tears! Once you get caught up in a rip current it's the most frightening experience!You fight to get back up.As you near the top you feel relief because you see the light of the sun indicating you're almost atop the water only to get swept back under again on repeat making it impossible to ever get above water,eventually the sound of the rushing ocean while under fades away,which intensifies your fear.I was only 14 years old when it happened to me, but thankfully I went swimming in Seaside with friends when the life guard "was" on duty who later saved my life!Truth be told doggie paddle,or whatever suggestions DO NOT work! Once I was under.I was under,and it was impossible to float,or doggie paddle because it was so strong my body was being thrashed all around under water.It's best to stay out of the water during a rip current.
Miriam...so true....at some point it is not unusual to lose your "sense of direction" while caught under the ocean in a rip tide and not be able to tell up from down. My heart breaks for these young kids that were just doing what young kids do. It's a horrible way for their friends on the beach, waiting and praying, to learn a tough lesson.
If there are no lifeguards on duty, the least the county could do is post colored flags and a sign board for reference. This is done all throughout Florida and should be a standard for any coastal community.
And it is done here as well. Unfortunately this is a case of people partying after closure and feeling they can do whatever they want. Honestly I haven't seem bad rip currents this time of year.
TFNJ, Just curious, as to what makes you think that "this a case of people partying after closure and feeling they can do whatever they want"......????? Eitherway you look at it, some parent loss their son, a sibling lost a brother and on and on....You have a lot of nerve to just shoot off such non-chalant idiotic comments.
Well DUH! If they would only swim when there is a lifeguard on duty and pay attention to the signs, they wouldn't drown! When folks think they are stronger than nature....they loose!
It's call common sense! It is seriously lacking now days!
Wingzee, what part of "swimming after lifeguards left" didn't you comprehend? Sorry that I am just commenting without crying for people in the news that I don't know. If you want to cry, go for it. Hey, there is plenty of news on the front page involving death. Lots to cry about. Go for it!!
Good point Sarah 1861 in this case someone in the county was not too concerned,even though there wasn't a life guard there should have been red flags,or rope left from when he/she was on duty.Years ago when it happened to me they had rope in the Ocean indicating not to go beyond that point because of rip current,but that didn't help me as I was pulled closer to the rope not by choice,and went under,so I refuse to swim period,if there are rip currents.The ropes,or flags would be my sign to say today I won't go swimming today.It's just not worth it, and they need to have markers up regardless!
They have flags here on the beach when there are known to be rip currents. They also have it posted all along the beach to not swim when lifeguards aren't preset, and boards showing what a rip current is and what to do if caught in one. Unfortunately, sometimes they can appear suddenly, like they said in the article it's unusual to have rip tides this time of year. It sounds like they were on the beach after hours, trying to beat the heat last night, maybe they didn't have beach badges, or maybe they just wanted to avoid the afternoon crowds, or maybe they were partying and excercised poor judgement. It's tragic, but maybe this happening so early in the season will serve to remind the tourist what the locals already know, don't go swimming alone with no life guard on duty. Doesn't matter how strong a swimmer you are, the Ocean is a powerful force.
Xina, you sound like you are from Jersey, so you know how it is. After 4 there is no charge and many people show up and go in the water, even though the life guards are about to leave soon.
I love how some here are posting what the beach attendants or county "should" have done. What makes you think they didn't? Are you there to know they didn't post flags and warnings? As I said above, they DO post warnings. But what they can't do is force people to listen.
They called for bad rip currents again today up and down the shore.
I stopped going into the ocean after I was caught in a rip tide. I truly believe I would have drowned had it not been for another swimmer who spotted me and came to my rescue. There were no lifeguards in the area. I truly learned my lesson.
Yes, you shouldn't go in the water.
I'm glad you weren't around when the nation was being colonized.
Damn, I read the headline and was hoping it was Snookie
I thought something similar - I was hoping it was the whole cast of Jersey Shore.
You know, you have the option of NOT watching "Jersey Shore" or reading any of the hype about it's "stars." I could care less about the show or it's cast...but I would never wish them dead. It's also in very bad taste to be making jokes after reading a story about two people losing their lives.
I guess no matter what you say or do there will always be those that go into the ocean not knowing a rip current could be present. If only there was someway to teach people how to survive these rip currents. They're fairly easy to swim out of although it may seem scary to some.
My brother got caught in a rip tide in Costa Rica. Fortunately, he knew to swim parallel with the shore. Also, with more luck, a few surfers saw him and rescued him. I'm sorry that this wasn't as happy an ending.
Sad. I know living in Florida, signs are posted every where. However, I don't think anyone truly understands how strong they are or what they look like. I am a native and it's not always easy to spot. Look at the waves and watch the tides going back and forth. To me, it's that little calm spot between the waves that appears safe but you'll notice the tides rushing back and forth. In my opinion, that's the part that gets people. Riptides kill more people than in FL than all the storms combined. My heart goes out to their family. Tragic and preventable for sure.
No such luck David. But summer's not over yet. On a serious note, if you do live near the beach or are going to the beach, drill it into your kids heads what to do when it happens. It's not if, it's when. The life guards in Daytona Beach last week were pulling them out left and right all last week and it's not even Friday yet. Get educated before you go swimming in the big pond.
I was caught in vicisouly strong rip tide while swimming in just 5 to 6ft. of water. I'm a strong swimmer and realized something was wrong when I was being pulled out pretty fast. Oddly enough I could also feel this immense surge of extremely cool water once I was pulled past the coastal shelf. What saved my life? I swam Parallel, conserved energy, stayed calm, swam at the top of a few larger waves and made my way in. Fighting it head on is a huge mistake. It took a few years for me to feel comfortable again. Thoughts and my prayers to the families and friends.
Here in California, I can't tell you how many times I've gone to my local beach and seen the same thing happen. Sometimes there are lifeguards on duty and sometimes not. What is truly amazing (in a very bad way) is how parents don't even pay attention to their kids. Just two months ago, a 10 year old girl was being swept out. Her head was barely above water for a second at a time as she was repeatedly pulled under. I ran like a bat out of h*** to get to her and another man had just gotten to her before me. All three of us were pulled under but managed to get her out. I think that poor girl could have taken another 30 seconds of that pounding before she would have needed CPR. Her parents weren't even watching. The dad showed up as we got her onto the beach.
Unfortunately, I've seen it happen many times before that..... I hope the beaches could post warning signs or something, but it is sad that parents aren't watching, because usually it is someone else that saves the child in trouble, and not the parent. I am actually surprised that more people don't drown based on the number of close calls I've seen, but I think that most people are good and try to help if they see it occurring, however, the beach was full of people who saw what was happening and didn't move.....???
The ocean is not to be messed with!
Nice job. I'm curious as to what the dad said after you guys rescued his daughter?
thanks to you for doing that! in case no one ever said so.. life is fragile..
ive been there myself.. off the coast, ocean city maryland. waves were a bit rough, but i saw a teen boy come up from a pummelling and his forehead was pretty scratched up and he CLEARLY didnt know which way was up he was so disoriented. im not sure if i saved his life or not, but he seemed REALLY panicked and could hardly talk.. i grabbed his arm and got him to the shore and he looked dazed and walked off. hard to say but i thought he was at that point of exhaustion where he might have drown. funy too cause there was a lifegaurd on duty, and in fact i think i was making him mad swimming out a little too far.
so., i learned my lesson as well.
i can only hope one day if it happened to one of my girls somebody would save them.. haha, maybe im up a point kharmically, though the ocean sure could care less..
So dam sad....
Lets see, here I am on the reservation in South Dakota, about as far from the beach as one can get and even I am aware of the rip tide warnings of late. What is it about one word "Danger" that is so hard to understand? Folks really need to know their own limitations and abilities when swimming in the ocean (or anywhere) when rip tides and the like make it dangerous at times. it's too bad people need to die before it starts sinking in. Darwinian thoughts abound......Oh and if your ever in South Dakota don't try and roller-skate in a buffalo herd.
Rest in peace Chazmin and Bestavros. Condolences to the family and friends of both. What an awful tragedy. I have been hearing more and more deaths due to rip tides. Maybe the beaches need to be closed when the conditions warrant - lifeguard or not. I'm also an advocate for swimming pools (both indoor and outdoor) and I live in Hawaii; pools are just safer and no sharks.
Very sad for the family. Several years ago, I was caught in a rip current. I was swimming in the ocean off of Little Beach, Maui. I was relaxed and then realized I was much further out than I realized and getting pulled out faster. I first started to panic. I then realized I needed to calm down and calm down fast. I first started to swim straight which I realized wasn't working. Then, I remembered to swim parallel to the beach which I did. As I got near shore I rode the waves in. Body surf as it is called. There were many people on the beach trying to help and I neared the shore. I was exhausted! Luckily I didn't hit the coral. Once I was safe, we got a group of people to help those still in the water. Luckily, we all survived. Rip currents are very dangerous. For me, I believe that my strenght as a swimmer helped me.
I am so sorry to the family and friends that lost their loved one. I can't imagine what their friends are going through having to watch their own friend disappear, let alone the family that no longer has their son, my heart goes out to them. Sending up prayers to all.
Very sad. Unfortunately no matter how many warnings and flags are posted there will always be people who believe it is OK to swim in the ocean without a lifeguard. There have been at least 4 drownings in the last 4 weeks at the Jersey shore - it's been all over the news - yet people still do it. That being said, the currents are strangely strong for this time of year and the extreme heat will make people desperate to cool off.
Yeah. It makes me wonder if its just more people at the shore, or if the rip currents are unusually strong. Storms are now forming in the Atlantic, but I'm not sure how much of an impact that has at this time.
My son and I he is 12 went to tybee beach last weekend. The waves were coming in pretty good with a northeasterly wind one after another and we were body surfing them in. After an hour or so I got caught in a rip current and it started taking me out. I told my boy to ride and swim in with the waves and I was swimming in and pushing him in at the same time it finally let us go and we both made it in safely. Needless to say we called it a day. It happens so fast and when you least expect it
Now with the massive heat wave on the east coast, I feel there may be more horrible accidents.
People just want to get into the water and try to cool off. Also, Life Guards can't be everywhere. Duh!
On Maui, we had no Life Guards. It was just us regulars who were good swimmers who looked out for others. Especially those who we could tell has not been around the ocean much especially with large strong waves. I love the ocean but do give her much needed respect. Remember, never turn you back on the ocean.
Amen to that ~!~!! Kat
For all my years in the Navy[8yrs.] and aboard a sea-going ship - Destroyer, is nothing is so awesome as the power of water. 'Cause if you think you are better and water is nothing but just that - Just try to see where it ends or the other side of that pond they call Ocean - and it is for nothing that it is referred to as that - As they say ' Is not wise to mess with Mother Nature~!~!'
Years ago I fell into a river that was running high due to snowmelt. I realise that a river in the mountains is nothing like the ocean,now I treat ALL water wwith a lot more respect.
CLOSE THE DAG beaches when rip tides~~~~PURE and SMIPLE~~~one in VA. Beach Last wk-end and now this, it doesn't take brains to just RED flag it........
I can tell you're a real beach goer. Rip tides are generally invisible.
Rip currents are pretty simple: If you see a curving as the waves crash on the shore that is a darker color then the larger areas, then it is a rip current. Most people float in sea water so don't fight the current just go with the flow, then when you aren't moving as fast as at the start, swim parallel to the shore (on your back is likely the easiest way to swim in this situation, save energy for the next step). Once you feel that you are out of the current start to swim toward shore aiming for the breaking waves.
If you are a parent or if that description doesn't make sense, then don't go in the water unless there are lifeguards around. If you are parent you should not be in the water at the same time as your kids, sorry, but at least one parent should be watching the kids.
This is just sad to hear. Keep in mind this simple rule, if it is a contest between you and the ocean, the ocean wins everytime.
You can close the beaches, put signs up but stupidity always wins. Sad yes, but that's the way it goes, another day another death.... who's next. I'll bet if you were to try and get news about or soldiers would you feel the same.
"Andrew Messiha told NBCNewYork.com. "I was standing near the shore. He called for help, but no one came because there was no lifeguard."
Maybe they couldn't read the signs. Boo-Hoo.
Also remember that depending on where the sand has made a leevee that is holding water back before it springs a leak you will be pulled out to that location and then some. It appears these guys were pulled out 100 to 200 yrds. If you can not panic you will stop being pulled out after 200 yrds or so, but I think I would even freak out not knowing when it will stop.
They should do a "Jersey Shore" where they all swim way out at the same spot.
I might actually watch that!
R.I.P. to the victims
and SINCERE SYMPATHIES to FAMILY and FRIENDS.
Such a sad Happening.