Lifeguards To Man Island Beach State Park On September Weekends

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ — Lifeguards will staff Island Beach State Park from Friday through Sunday each week in September. Lifeguards will work Swimming Area 1 beaches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29.

Although beaches will be guarded, Island Beach State Park carries a smaller staff after Labor Day weekend. Swimming is prohibited unless lifeguards are on duty.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection advises beachgoers in general to only swim when beaches are guarded.

The DEP reminded beachgoers that rip currents are the leading cause of drowning across the nation. The organization released the following tips:

• Read and heed signs at beaches warning about the dangers of rip currents, which pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore cannot keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion or lack of swimming skills.
• When caught in a rip current, stay calm and swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the current. Once you are free, turn and swim toward shore. If you can’t make it to the shore, draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help.
• If you see someone in trouble in a rip current, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1. Rip currents can be stronger than the strongest swimmer. Throw the swimmer something that floats, such as a lifejacket, raft, cooler or inflatable ball and stay on shore and in contact with that person until help arrives. Do not become a victim of the rip current yourself.

Several Ocean County beaches temporarily prohibited swimming last month because of strong rip currents. Read more: Beach Haven Swimming Prohibited Sunday Due To Strong Rip Currents

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