Dozens rescued from rip currents at Smith Point, Cupsogue Beach County Park

More than 40 swimmers were rescued from waters off Smith Point County Park alone on a Friday marked by dangerous rip currents from eastern Suffolk through the South Fork, county officials said.

Suffolk lifeguards entered the water for 46 “saves” of "varying degrees” Friday at Smith Point, county spokesperson Michael Martino told Newsday. Lifeguards also rescued multiple people Friday afternoon caught in rip currents in waters near Cupsogue Beach County Park in Westhampton. No injuries were reported related to those rescues, according to Martino.

“This is actually not uncommon at all on a day like today with the rip currents,” Martino said of the high number of incidents.

Suffolk lifeguards were off-duty as of 5:30 p.m. Friday, according to a news release from Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine.

“Beachgoers are reminded not to swim in the water when lifeguards are not present,” the release reads.

Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service labelled Suffolk’s South Shore from approximately Smith Point County Park to Montauk with the agency’s highest warning level for life-threatening rip currents.

“There was lots of rip activity out there today,” weather service meteorologist James Tomasini told Newsday.

“The surf zone is dangerous for all levels of swimmers,” the weather service said in a Friday evening advisory. “Stay out of the water. Remember to heed the advice of the local beach patrol and flag warning systems.”

The western portion of Suffolk, as well as Nassau, remained under a “moderate risk” of rip currents late Friday. That risk level, which means rip currents are possible, will remain in effect across Long Island’s entire South Shore on Saturday.

“That means life-threatening rip currents are still possible [Saturday],” Tomasini said.

To anyone visiting Long Island beaches on Saturday, Martino said: “Do not swim in areas where there are no lifeguards.”

Several of the rescues on Friday occurred in areas that were not under direct lifeguard supervision, Martino added. The weather service also offered such guidance for Saturday.

George Gorman, the state parks regional director for Long Island, said he had no reports of water rescues at state parks beaches on Friday. But  he said lifeguards at multiple beaches have restricted swimming there due to the occurrence of rip currents on multiple days in recent weeks.

Bathers should always “heed the warnings of the lifeguards,” Gorman said in a Friday evening telephone interview.

“If they’re whistling you into a different area please follow those directions,” Gorman added. “That means they see a dangerous rip current or another issue in the water and want you to get out of harm’s way.”