Swimmer goes missing off Point Pleasant Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Rescue crews are searching the rough waters off the Jersey Shore for a female swimmer who went missing early Sunday.

The first call came into Point Pleasant Beach Police around 2:15 a.m, for a swimmer in trouble in the water.

Crews from the US Coast Guard, the State Police Marine Division and Point Pleasant Fire Department all began a search along with a dive team.

ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported the missing woman is 24-years-old and was not wearing a bathing suit or any clothes. Several articles of clothing were found on the beach, according to the report.

Red flags are flying at ocean beaches up-and-down the Jersey Shore with a high risk of rip currents. "Despite the beautiful weather forecast - sunny and warm, with low humidity - it would be a wise idea to stick to the sand and stay out of the downright dangerous ocean waves Sunday," Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.

"As our powerful coastal storm system continues to kick out to sea, it's still pushing a lot of water toward the Jersey Shore. 6 to 8 foot waves will batter the beaches Sunday, with conditions improving very slowly as the day progresses."

The power of the rip current was demonstrated earlier this summer when four teens died at beaches in Belmar and Atlantic City

The National Weather Service says you can spot a potential rip current by watching for these factors:

Channel of churning, choppy water
Area having a notable difference in water color
Line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward
Break in the incoming wave pattern
One, all or none the clues may be visible.

If you find yourself caught in a rip current, the NWS has some advice to follow:

Don’t fight the current. It’s a natural treadmill that travels an average speed of 1-2 feet per second, but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second—faster than an Olympic swimmer.
Relax and float to conserve energy. Staying calm may save your life.
Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. Swim parallel to the shoreline until you escape the current’s pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
If you feel you can’t reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help. Remember: Wave and yell; swim parallel to the beach.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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