Swim at Your Own Risk

White Sands Beach off 23rd Avenue in South Seaside Park was nearly deserted late this week.

A few surf fisherman had their lines in the cobalt water. A lone surfer bobbed gently beyond the breakers, waiting for the next good swell to catch. A few people huddled on the beach.

The cold front that blew in Thursday night probably had something to do with the lack of people on the beach. But that was not the case last weekend and the earlier part of the week, which was uncomfortably warm and humid.

And it's those warmer days in September that worry longtime South Seaside Park resident Donald Whiteman.

He came to the Sept. 13 Township Council meeting to warn officials of the danger of unguarded beaches, especially on weekends after Labor Day.

The weekend of Sept. 10 the beach was packed, Whiteman said.

"We had a beach full of people, but no guards," he said, who was up on the beach that Saturday.

And rough surf and rip currents spelled danger for people who went in the water that day.

"We had people that were in trouble," Whiteman told the council. "Six people. Two different rescues. To me, the season is not over in September. We need to have guards on the weekends after Labor Day. The waves were huge. People were sucked out."

At least five people had to be pulled from the water on Sept. 10 in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, as strong created by the passing of tropical storms made for dangerous conditions.

An 24-year-old Egyptian man visiting friends in Seaside Heights drowned Wednesday afternoon after being caught in a rip on an unguarded beach.

His body was found in the water under Casino Pier, little more than an hour after he decided to go swimming with a 21-year-old female friend, police said.

Township officials need to shed the mindset that the summer season ends after Labor Day weekend, Whiteman told the council.

"Everything doesn't stop," he said. "You have a beach that will probably be used all of September. Luckily we had people who were able to get them out."

The township stops guarding beaches after Labor Day weekend.

"We will review it with the parks and recreation department and examine it for next year," Mayor Jason J. Varano told Whiteman at the meeting.

So swimmers and surfers beware. Rip currents have been widespread on the Jersey Shore over the past several weeks from storms offshore and are expected to continue. You're on your own.