OCEAN CITY, Md. - With steady rain falling Tuesday, Ocean City’s beach was nearly empty, but that didn’t mean lifeguards had the day off.
Instead, the Ocean City Beach Patrol stood watch to make sure beachgoers stayed out of the ocean, a precaution taken with rough surf and rip currents present.
“Today we’re restricting water access,” said Lt. Mike Stone of the Beach Patrol. “We’ve got dangerous surf conditions, really large waves, and we also have some obstructions out there. Unless you’re from here, you might not know where some of the rock piles are.”
For vacationers, that meant their time in the ocean was cut short. “We actually got one day of beach time,” said vacationer Tina Doyle.
For Donovin Zapata and his family, the rough ocean meant finding fun elsewhere. “We are going to go to lunch and to finish the day off, we’re going to Sugar Planet,” Zapata said.
The Ocean City Beach Patrol stood watch to make sure beachgoers stayed out of the ocean.
Beach Patrol officials said people are welcome to walk along the sand, but anyone who ventures too close to the surf may be pulled back for their own safety — and for the safety of the lifeguards.
“It’s also dangerous for our personnel,” Stone said. “We want them to be able to come to work each day and leave safely. But we also need them to be there for when it is open and it is safe to go in.”
With Hurricane Erin still stirring the Atlantic, officials said they will continue to monitor conditions daily before reopening the ocean to swimmers.