3 rescued after getting caught in rip current at Stone Harbor beach
STONE HARBOR, N.J. - Three people are safe after they were pulled from the water in Stone Harbor this week.
Emergency crews responded to three victims in distress at 96th Street and the beach around 6 p.m. Monday.
Firefighters and police swam out to the victims, who officials say were caught in a rip current.
All three victims were brought to the beach, where they were evaluated by medics. One victim was treated by EMS.
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This incident is the second rescue involving rip currents in the last two weeks in Stone Harbor.
The first rip current rescue involved an adolescent who was in distress on a boogie board. The kid was about 300 yards out in the ocean before two swimmers and a wave runner were launched to bring the kid to safety.
Roger Stanford, Fire Chief at the Stone Harbor Fire Department, says rip currents are nothing to mess with.
"They're almost described as a river of water that’s rushing out, and you get stuck in that riptide and sucked out into the ocean," Chief Stanford said.
RELATED: Pennsylvania swimmer drowns off coast of Wildwood, police say
There were also at least two fatal drownings in Wildwood over the past couple weeks.
Last month, a teen swimmer went missing after his three friends were rescued. This week, a man died after he was pulled from the water by beach goers.
Chief Stanford advises everyone to swim with supervision.
"I always recommend people swim during lifeguard hours, in front of a lifeguard stand," he said.