By:Rebecca Shalomoff
Atlantic Beach-goers more alert in wake of 3 girls drowning off Far Rockaway
Marsha Cook, a Far Rockaway native, was lucky. When a strong riptide gripped her in the same waters that recently took the lives of three girls from New Jersey, her husband and lifeguards came to the rescue. That was 25 years ago.
"It all happened so fast," Cook said while visiting friends in Atlantic Beach. "I felt the pull and waved my arms to my husband, who was watching me on the shore. At first, he thought I was just waving hello. It was horrible. The water can be so treacherous."
On the morning of July 23 this year, the three young girls from Paterson, frolicking in knee-deep water, were swept away in the blink of an eye by a nasty riptide, before lifeguards were scheduled to come on duty.
Since then, beach-goers in Atlantic Beach have experienced some trepidation before getting their feet wet.
"People are always asking us about the presence of a riptide before they head in the water," said chief lifeguard Steve Morgenlander. "They are trying to become more ocean conscious."
Last week, beach officials put up the red flag, forbidding swimmers from entering the water because it was too turbulent. With hurricanes moving up the East Coast in the coming weeks and bringing in waves twice head high, more red-flag beach days are expected.
"There will definitely be days where it will be rough from hurricanes," Morgenlander said.
Since Morgenlander started working as a lifeguard 11 years ago, no one has drowned in Atlantic Beach. The worst disaster he has witnessed was a woman who broke her neck after a wave tumbled over her.
But ocean accidents can happen at any time. Even in calm waters, lifeguards have rescued swimmers caught in buoy lines.
A chief task of Atlantic Beach lifeguards is keeping people away from the rock jetties. Aside from Long Beach, Atlantic Beach is the only beach on the South Shore that has jetties, which were built for erosion.
Although lifeguards serve as the greatest protection against beach disasters, trouble usually strikes when lifeguards are not on duty, from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily.
In the past decade, dangerous currents and vicious tides have taken the lives of at least 14 people at the neighboring Rockaway Beach, making it the City of Long Beach's deadliest beach.
Five people drowned off Long Beach during the past two summers. Lifeguards were off duty in each case.
On Aug. 1, 1999, a man and a woman drowned off the rock jetties separating Edwards and Riverside boulevards. Earlier that summer, in the same location, a Queens woman also drowned. In June 2000, just after lifeguards went home, a 12-year-old Canarsie boy swimming approximately 35 feet offshore suddenly disappeared. His body washed ashore days afterward. Two months later, a Bronx teenager entered the ocean with his brothers during the early evening and was swept out 50 to 75 yards offshore and drowned.
Neighboring beaches are open to the public, attracting people who may be newcomers to Long Island's seas. But Atlantic Beach is open only to residents and members of private beach clubs, those more familiar with the ways of the water.
"Anyone who doesn't know how to swim in foreign waters shouldn't go swimming," Heather Goorland of Atlantic Beach said. "I know the ocean rules of swimming and, of course, I only go in when there are lifeguards."
What is a riptide?
A riptide, also known as an undertow, is a passage of water moving out to sea. It is created when incoming waves get pulled back into the ocean, forming an underwater sand bar. Water gets pushed in between the sand bar with the passing of waves until a section of it breaks off. All the excess water is forced into this area, creating a strong but narrow current away from the shore. Riptides are characterized by darker, deeper and foamier waves and can extend offshore from 200 to 2,500 feet.
Survival Tips
-Swim only when a lifeguard is on duty and in designated areas.
-If caught in a riptide, don't panic or try to swim against it. Swim gently parallel to shore or float with it until you're out of the pull.
-Avoid big, rough surf.
-Don't swim alone.
-Stay out of the ocean if you don't know how to swim.
-Never swim after drinking alcohol.
Joseph Kellard contributed to this article.
