The piercing whistle sounded. In a flash three lifeguards raced to shore, buoys in tow, eyeing the crashing waves for a bobbing body.
False alarm. It was low tide. Rescues this afternoon at Jones Beach State Park were few and far between. So far. Come high tide the lifeguards here at the Central Mall - ground zero for dangerous riptides and rescues - have come to expect the worst. "In the 18 years I've been a lifeguard this last week is the worst I've ever seen it," said lifeguard Scott Zanville, 35, of Merrick.
Riptides in recent weeks have made the South Shore's waters especially treacherous. On Monday, a 22-year-old man died after drowning in unpatrolled waters just east of Field 6 at Jones Beach. Tuesday authorities identified the man as Narie Balkaran, 22, of Richmond Hill, Queens.
On Saturday, a teenager drowned off Beach 25th Street in the Rockaways. And the Coast Guard and NYPD were searching Tuesday for Anthony Bolden, 21, of Brooklyn, who disappeared in the waters off the Rockaways on Monday.
For Greg Woods, captain of the Central Mall lifeguards, and his crew, the riptides have transformed Bay Watch into a virtual search-and-rescue operation, with lifeguards rescuing 20 to 30 people at a time. "We had to close the beach on Saturday; there weren't enough lifeguards," said Woods.
From the perch of the lifeguard station, Woods and others can spot the rip tides. "See the lighter colored water, that's a rip tide," said Woods. "That'll suck you in."
Tuesday Zanville patrolled the waters on the western edge of the Central Mall, which park officials have closed due to the dangerous riptides. He and another lifeguard blew their whistles, motioning for people to move east. A third lifeguard went out on a surfboard, bobbing up and down in the water in front of the crowd.
A row of red flags marks the sand fronting the no-swimming zone. "There's no swimming on that side, only between the green flags," Woods warned several beachgoers about to plop down on the sand there.
Joe Scalise, water safety director for Long Island State Park Beaches, said on average there are anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 rescues at Jones Beach every year, with the majority at the Central Mall.
Through July 24 there were 1,507 rescues at Jones Beach but the majority have occurred in the past few weeks, he said. In the Central Mall, there were 262 from July 18 to 24 and 414 from July 25 to July 31. On Saturday alone there were more than 400 rescues, and there were 256 on Monday, he said.
"Saturday and Monday were crazy," said Thomas Loughlin, 55, of Floral Park. "We were in the water constantly, pulling people out left and right. The whole crew was exhausted."
Tuesday Loughlin and the others were grateful for a quiet afternoon. "What time is high tide?" Woods yelled to one of the other guards.
"18:45," he said, using military time.
"6:45 p.m.," said Woods.
The day was still young.
Lifeguards rescue drowning teen.
