Latest news with #AnthonyVaz
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Officials Warn That Beachgoers Could Risk 'Arrest' If They Break Curfew Following Tragic Incident
'If they get really arrogant — I hope not — they'll be arrested,' Seaside Heights, New Jersey, mayor Anthony Vaz said NEED TO KNOW Seaside Heights, New Jersey, is enforcing a beach curfew following the death of a man who got caught in a rip current The incident occurred after hours, so no lifeguards were on duty Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz said the town is prohibiting swimming off the beach after lifeguards leave each day to prevent further accidents A New Jersey town is enforcing a new policy on its beaches following a deadly incident last week. On Aug. 11, the Seaside Heights Fire Department was alerted to a report of multiple swimmers in distress off of Webster Avenue Beach in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, according to Fox News. The city's fire department and additional agencies responded to a report of six individuals 100 yards offshore caught in a rip current. The victims were rescued in three waves: three in the first, two in the second, and the final victim by himself. Rescue crews immediately performed CPR upon retrieval of the final swimmer, but the 31-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), rip currents are powerful currents of water that move away from shore. They can sweep even the strongest swimmers. Deaths often occur when swimmers are pulled offshore and are unable to stay afloat. There were no lifeguards on duty at the time of the incident, as it occurred after hours, when many of them had already gone home. Lifeguards patrol Seaside Heights beaches between Memorial weekend and Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Following the event, Seaside Heights mayor Anthony Vaz said he wants to clear the ocean after lifeguards leave for the day. "I don't care who gets mad at me, I'm closing the beach," Vaz told local outlet News 12. "If it's endangerment, I hate to say this, sue me." The mayor told Fox News there will be an increased presence of law enforcement, too. "They'll be there the rest of the season, chasing people out of the water at five o'clock," he said. "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." PEOPLE has reached out to Seaside Heights' mayor's office and police department for comment. On Friday, Aug. 15, local outlet Asbury Park Press captured members of the police department patrolling the beach after lifeguards had left. The officers used ATVs to move around the beach, warning beachgoers to stay out of the water. The outlet also captured signs posted at each entrance to Seaside Heights' beach."Swimming permitted only when lifeguards are on duty!" the signs said. According to the NWS, there have been 52 fatalities within surf zones in the United States this year. Twenty-five of those deaths, or 48%, were a result of rip current. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Earlier this year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner died while swimming on a family trip in Costa Rica. The actor 'was apparently swept away by a current. The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene,' the Judicial Investigation Agency said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Warner was 54 when he died on July 20. Read the original article on People
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Beach visitors risk 'arrest' for swimming without lifeguard following tragic incident
Following a dramatic rescue earlier this week in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, local officials are announcing they will be strictly enforcing after-hours beach time. 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."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Jersey Shore town will close beaches after lifeguards leaves following drowning, mayor says
Seaside Heights plans to strictly enforce after-hours beach closures after a man drowned and several others needed to be rescued from a rip current Monday night, mayor Anthony Vaz said. 'This is about trying to protect people,' Vaz told NJ Advance Media. 'We're concerned about the weather causing the tides to be very high and very dangerous.' One person died and six people needed to be rescued after being caught in a rip current while swimming in the ocean after lifeguards left for the day. Beaches in Seaside Heights typically open at 9 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. when lifeguards leave for the day, Vaz said. Patrolmen from the Seaside Heights Police Department will now help close beaches when lifeguards leave and issue summonses to people who remain on the beach. 'They will make arrests if they have to,' Vaz said about enforcing the after-hours beach closures. The borough is also going to pay close attention to currents and storm conditions that could whip up rip currents and make closing decisions based on the data, Vaz said. 'On bad days, we might close the beach at 5 or 6,' Vaz said. 'If it's not a bad day, we'll close it at 7.' Patrolmen typically patrol the boardwalk during the evening hours after beaches close and will enforce the beach closures as they patrol the boardwalk, according to Vaz. The borough also plans to install bilingual signs about the dangers of swimming in the ocean while lifeguards are off duty so that those who speak Spanish can be properly informed, Vaz said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@
