 |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Kim
Kosko (NJMSC) |
"Give the Rip the Slip" Seaside Heights, NJ —With the July Fourth just days away and thousands of beachgoers flocking to the Jersey Shore, the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, the New Jersey Sea Grant Program and the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism held a demonstration with the United States Lifesaving Association today on the beach in Seaside Heights to show steps swimmers can take if they find themselves caught in a rip current. "Recent news stories have sadly illustrated how rip currents can pose a serious and potentially deadly threat to swimmers," said Dr. Michael Weinstein, President and CEO of NJMCC. "By informing the public how to recognize a rip current and what to do if caught in one, we hope to help alleviate further tragic incidents." "It is important to provide information to both visitors and resident beachgoers to reinforce the message that rip currents can and should be avoided by using common sense when it comes to swimming safety," said Nancy Byrne, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism. According to Dr. Thomas Herrington, who helped create the Rip Current Sign Project for the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension Program, "Over 80% of all ocean surf related rescues are attributed to rip currents. Learning to recognize a rip current and taking the proper measures if caught in one will help ensure swimmer safety." Rip currents are usually recognized by an area of unusual choppiness or discoloration and strong currents moving away from the shore. As the waves break along sandbars, they transport water toward the shoreline. The water has no place to go once it reaches land and it begins to pile up, kept in place by the incoming waves. Rip currents are formed when the pressure generated by the trapped water is strong enough to overcome the incoming waves, or when there is a lull in wave activity, and the excess water begins to flow back out to sea. If caught in a riptide, swimmers should follow these measures:
The Rip Current Awareness initiative represents a collective effort that includes the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, New Jersey Sea Grant, Stevens Institute of Technology, The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Program, The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, The New Jersey Office Department of Transportation Office of Maritime Resources, New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS), and the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). More information on Rip Currents can be found at: www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov,
www.usla.org or www.njmsc.org.
|
|