SCARBOROUGH, Maine — With the holiday weekend ahead, lifeguards and safety officials are not only gearing up for large crowds, but dangerous tide conditions after an alert for rip currents was sent Wednesday.
The National Weather Service sent out an alert of intense rip currents and high tides for both York and Cumberland counties, as well as portions of New Hampshire.
Beaches listed under the alert are Old Orchard, Fortunes Rock, Wells, Ogunquit, York, Scarborough, Higgins, and Crescent.
"It takes constant vigilance from the staff to know where the rip currents are, where they've moved, and who might be in danger," Lifeguard Supervisor Dave Currier, who manages Scarborough Beach State Park's lifeguard program, said.
Currently, they have six to seven lifeguards set to watch over the beach for the rest of this week into Labor Day weekend.
Also taking precautions is Old Orchard Beach's Surf Rescue. However, due to end-of-season staff shortages, lifeguard captain Keith Willett says swimmers should make sure to swim where they can be seen.
"We are warning people that there are areas of the beach that are not covered," Willett said.
Another way for swimmers to stay vigilant is to know the signs of a rip current, even before you head out to the waves.
"Telltale signs is white water sort of funneling out, making a sort of hourglass shape," Willett added.
According to the National Weather Service, other signs are a channel of churning, choppy water, or even waterlines of sea foam, seaweed, or debris that seems to be moving out to sea.
If you are caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is stay calm and follow the current. If you can't escape, tread water until help can get to you.
"Biggest thing is to don't underestimate your swimming abilities," Currier said. "Swimming parallel to the beach is exactly what people need to do, and once they're out of the rip, going angular towards the ocean."
Currier also recommends that staying in spots where you can touch the ocean floor with your feet can help you from being swept away by a strong current.
In the meantime, checking local weather and tide conditions at Maine's beaches can help you stay informed of rip currents.