N.H. Beach Patrol warns rip currents increasing
CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire State Beach Patrol has already rescued about 250 people from the state’s ocean this summer.
That’s high, considering that a typical summer sees between 200 to 300 rescues, according to Pat Murphy, chief lifeguard for the New Hampshire State Beach Patrol. The months ahead will be busy; Murphy said Hampton Beach alone can receive over 100,000 people per day, and anywhere from 6 million to 8 million people will visit New Hampshire’s seacoast this summer.
The beach patrol’s job is to keep those visitors safe while they’re here. To that end, the state hosted its annual water safety day July 27 at the Hampton Beach Seashell Complex. The goal is to educate people and raise awareness, including about the number one danger beachgoers face.
It’s not sharks. Rather, in more than 80 percent of cases, a rescue is necessary because a person got caught in a rip current, Murphy said. And those currents are stronger this year than they were last year.
“Every year is different. Every day is different at the beach,” Murphy said. “Every wave that comes in changes the contour of the ocean.”
A rip current is like a mini river going out to sea, in a place where the waves have dug a channel. That’s the path of least resistance, and it creates a powerful funnel of water flowing away from the shore.
“It’s dangerous,” Murphy said. A rip current will be a flat area in the middle of the waves, with a small ripple. It might look more inviting than big waves, but you should steer clear because the powerful water can carry a person out to sea. If you do get caught, don’t panic.
“You can ride it out and rip currents can be 50 yards to 100 yards long,” Murphy said. “But it’s not going to take you to Europe.”
Don’t try to swim back to shore against a rip current. Instead, swim parallel to shore. Remember that there is a sandbar on either side of the rip current where the water is much more shallow.
Where you can see waves breaking is typically a safe place to swim. “Waves are good. They bring you back to shore,” Murphy said.
Here are two other safety recommendations from the beach patrol to keep in mind when you go to the ocean. First, know your ability. Don’t go in the ocean if you don’t know how to swim.
Second, swim in a place where there is a lifeguard.
The few instances of recent drownings in N.H.’s ocean occurred while guards were off duty in 2005 and 2011, according to Murphy.