Tragedy at NJ beach — Dad drowns trying to help daughter
AVON-BY-THE-SEA — A father from Teaneck drowned Friday morning after coming to his daughter's aid.
A 15-year-old girl was swimming off the Sylvania Avenue beach around 8:35 a.m. and ran into problems, according to Avon-by-the-Sea police. Her 39-year-old father went in after her but he was swept under.
Rescue workers were able to get the teen out of the water and took her to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
A wide search was conducted by Avon-by-the-Sea police and lifeguards, the Area Network Of Shore Water Emergency Responders team (ANSWER), the State Police Marine Unit, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
A member of the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office recovered the body 50 yards from the beach around 10 a.m. First responders administered CPR but he was pronounced dead at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
The identity of the father and daughter were not disclosed pending notification of the family.
Low risk of rip currents
Lifeguards are not on duty weekdays at Avon-by-the-Sea beaches until June 17.
There was a low risk of rip currents Friday morning, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow. Winds were fairly light at Sea Girt, the nearest weather station. It was a land breeze, blowing up to 15 mph out of the northwest.
If you find yourself caught in a rip current, the National Weather Sevice 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 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.