Stormy Seas: Firefighters Respond to Two Water Rescues Friday

It's probably best to start heeding those warnings to stay inside now.

Around 6:30 p.m. Friday evening, the seas surrounding Newport were pretty rough, but still, surfers could be found out catching a few last waves at Easton's Beach, and the curious lined Ocean Drive for photos.

But by 7 p.m., the skies were dark and people started to clear the coastlines as Earl got closer and closer.

Newport firefighters responded to a rescue call at Easton's Beach around 7, after being told that a man on a boogie board had been in trouble in the water for almost an hour. An engine crew was deployed and two rescue swimmers were ready to go out, just as the man managed to get back on shore, said Newport Fire Cpt. Jim McIntosh. A fireman then went out on the department's jet ski to instruct others to get out of the water, but got tossed off and had to come back to shore.

"It was very uncomfortable out there," McIntosh said.

Earlier in the evening, firefighters were also called to Bailey's Beach after a girl got pulled out on an undertow. An engine and rescue squad from the Old Fort Road fire station went out to assist, but luckily by the time they arrived a surfer had helped the girl out.

McIntosh said the fire department wanted all surfers out of the water.

"I ended up being pushy, told them to get out," he said. "It's unsafe for them, then it makes it unsafe for us. Hopefully nobody else should get in trouble tonight."

Around 5 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service reported that Earl was 230 miles south-southwest of Nantucket, packing 80 mile per hour winds.

The hurricane is still a Category 1 storm. A flash flood watch remains in effect for our area, and the city has blocked off Hazard Avenue and portions of Ocean Drive, Harrison Avenue and Ridge Road. One to three inches of rain are expected to fall over a period of six hours tonight, with winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour, and gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, possible.