3 people died and more than a dozen swimmers had to be rescued after rip current warnings along the New Jersey Shore over Labor Day weekend
Lifeguards created a human chain during a rescue attempt to search for one victim that was submerged in Beach Haven
By Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN
(CNN) — Three people died and more than a dozen swimmers were rescued from the ocean along the New Jersey Shore on Sunday amid warnings of dangerous rip currents over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said.
The National Weather Service had warned of “a high risk for the development of dangerous rip currents for the New Jersey and Delaware Beaches” since at least August 29. The warnings were in effect through Labor Day into Monday evening, according to the weather service.
Three people were caught in a rip current while swimming in Beach Haven on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement from the Beach Haven Police Department.
Two of them were brought to shore safely, while a 22-year-old male was pronounced dead, according to the statement.
During the attempted rescue, about 15 lifeguards formed a chain and began a systematic search for the one victim who had been submerged, the statement said.
“Simultaneously, five lifeguards began a deep water grid search of the deeper water utilizing paddle boards and a JetSki,” the statement said.
Additional support from local and state authorities helped locate the man who was pronounced dead, according to the police department.
A few hours later, five people who were swimming after lifeguards were off duty for the day were rescued from rip currents in Seaside Park, according to Andrew Casole, a spokesperson for the Seaside Park Police Department.
The body of a 31-year-old man, who had been swimming separately from the group Sunday, was recovered Wednesday morning, Casole said. The man had been missing and a search effort had been underway since Sunday, he added.
At Belmar Beach, five other swimmers were rescued Sunday late afternoon, according to a statement from the Belmar Police Department. “The tide came, that’s when they got pulled in,” Chizzy Meremikwu, who witnessed the incident, told CNN affiliate WABC.
“They were in the back yelling, ‘Help, help!’ That’s when everybody ran off the beach, calling for lifeguards,” he said.
One swimmer was unresponsive and was transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, according to Belmar police.
“Despite the life saving efforts performed by the lifeguards and first responders on scene and during transport to the hospital, the 42 year old male unresponsive victim died at the hospital,” Belmar Police Department Chief Tina Scott said in a statement Tuesday.
Two of the swimmers rescued were also transferred to a local hospital, according to the statement. Both swimmers were treated and released, police said Tuesday.
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CNN’s Caroll Alvarado and Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report.
