Beach visitors risk 'arrest' for swimming without lifeguard following tragic incident
Six individuals were caught in a rip current at Webster Avenue Beach about 100 yards offshore, according to the Jersey Shore Fire Response. (See the video at the top of this article.)
The beach did not have lifeguards on duty at the time of the incident.
The Seaside Heights Fire Department deployed a rescuer with a jet ski, successfully bringing the victims back to shore while a seventh person was taken to the hospital and tragically pronounced dead.
Mayor Anthony Vaz clarified to Fox News Digital that they will not be closing the beaches — but the ocean.
"Our focus is the ocean. We don't want anybody in the ocean," said Vaz.
The beach will continue to be closed between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., with the possibility of an even earlier time period if the water is deemed too dangerous.
Seaside Heights will be adding more law enforcement to enforce the rule, it also said.
"Beaches set swimming hours to provide specific times when swimmers will be protected by lifeguards on duty."
"They'll be there the rest of the season, chasing people out of the water at five o'clock," said Vaz.
"If [people] refuse to get out, we'll [give them a summons]. And if they get really arrogant — I hope not — they'll be arrested," he said.
Other beaches across the country have been implementing similar plans due to safety concerns.
In December, Virginia Beach officials ruled that lifeguards would remain on their stands longer, extending through the second weekend of September, following three deaths last fall, according to local outlet 13 News Now.
In Escambia County, Florida, beach rules indicate there should be no swimming or wading in the Gulf of America during double red flag conditions.
The rule states that violators could be punished with a fine of under $500 or by imprisonment in the county jail (not to exceed 60 days) or both, according to its government site.
It also states that any person rescued in the Gulf of America will be banned from returning for 24 hours.
There were 49 rip current deaths so far this year as of Monday and that number now stands at 52, according to the National Weather Service.
Tom Gill, United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) vice president, told Fox News Digital that it's important for visitors to "only swim when lifeguards are on duty."
"One reason beaches set swimming hours is to provide specific times when swimmers will be protected by lifeguards on duty," said Gill.
"The USLA has determined the chance of a fatal drowning on a guarded beach is 1 in 18 million," he said.
"Besides the safety aspect, the cost and resources required to initiate a full drowning response after hours also factor into the decision-making."
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