8 people rescued from Long Beach waters after lifeguards go off duty on Thursday, authorities say

Long Beach lifeguards are urging people not to go into the water after hours after swimmers had to be saved in three separate rescues on Thursday night in rip currents off the beach.

Long Beach firefighters said they helped save eight people from the water within two hours, including a rescue of a person who fell off a Jet Ski in Atlantic Beach and a kayaker in Reynolds Channel.

The city has faced the chronic problem for several years of swimmers going into the water after lifeguards are off duty at 6 p.m. — either visitors getting off work or swimmers looking to avoid paying the $15 nonresident beach access fee. The city does not plan to extend the hours lifeguards are on duty.

The city has an emergency rescue squad of four lifeguards that remains on duty until 8 p.m. to join the police and fire departments in responding to emergencies, Long Beach lifeguard chief Rich Borawski said. The team includes a senior lifeguard and an EMT.

The number of rescues on Thursday prompted Long Beach police to clear the beach after 8 p.m., a practice the city said would continue if lifeguards were overextended by multiple rescues.

"I understand it’s hot, but when lifeguards are off duty, you shouldn’t be going into the water," Borawski said. "When it’s getting dark, that’s putting lifeguards in harm’s way. People must stay out of the water. It’s just common sense."

Thursday’s rescues were complicated by strong rip currents and swimmers getting caught in the outgoing low tide, Borawski said. Lifeguards responded with calls to police and firefighters for rescues of six people in the ocean.

First rescue after 6 p.m.

The first rescue was at 6:14 p.m. when the lifeguard patrol pulled three people from the water off Laurelton Boulevard, all of whom were all treated by fire EMS.

Lifeguards responded to the beach again about 7 p.m. to rescue two people off Monroe Boulevard, including one person who was taken to the Mount Sinai South Nassau Emergency Department in Long Beach, fire officials said.

Long Beach firefighters and lifeguards on Jet Skis were called again to the beach around 8 p.m. when firefighters received a call of multiple people struggling in the water. One person was taken to the hospital.

In each case, the swimmers unfamiliar with the water did not realize there was a drop on the ocean floor before a sandbar off the beach, Borawski said. The swimmers struggled in the riptide before they were rescued.

"Panic usually sets in and people get caught in the rip current," Borawski said. "You have to swim parallel to get released. If you float the tide will eventually release you."

Hempstead Town lifeguards, which manage beaches from Lido Beach to Point Lookout, said they had not faced issues with swimmers going into the water after lifeguards go off duty at 6 p.m. The town had previously extended beach hours due to heat waves but did not this week, officials said.

State Parks beach lifeguards are on duty at Jones Beach from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and State Police will patrol the beach after hours, said George Gorman, state parks regional director for Long Island. Some beaches have previously extended hours for busy crowds or during hot temperatures.

State Park police patrol to make sure no one goes in the water after lifeguards go off duty," Gorman said. "If the water is filled with swimmers, we may extend hours to make sure people stay safe."