OCEAN CITY — With two shallow diving accidents in less than a week and a handful of other water-related incidents, resort officials this week issued a few water safety reminders as the summer season gets ready to really ramp up.
Through much of the first half of June, most serious incidents in Ocean City and the surrounding areas occurred on land with a rash of violent crime. Over the last two weeks, however, the focus has clearly shifted to water-related incidents. Most notably, there were two shallow water diving incidents in less than a week, each of which has left young men facing a life drastically different then before their ill-fated decisions.
There was also an incident nearly two weeks ago when two individuals reportedly jumped off the Route 90 bridge into shallow water. That incident touched off a massive search effort that proved fruitless and the working assumption is they were either able to safely walk or swim out of the bay or were picked up by another vessel.
Earlier this week, a caller from a north-end condo reported seeing two men enter the ocean at night after the beach patrol was no longer on duty and not return, touching off another multi-agency search effort. No swimmers were found in that case and the working theory in that case is that they simply exited the ocean in a different place than where they went in and the caller simply didn’t see them.
On the same night, a 28-foot boat ran hard aground in the marsh in the Sinepuxent Bay south of the Route 50 Bridge with eight people aboard, touching off another massive search effort. In that case, all eight occupants were found and no injuries were reported, but the operator has been charged with boating while intoxicated.
The long and short of it is, the Ocean City Police Department, the Ocean City Fire Department and its Dive Team and rescue swimmers, the Maryland Natural Resources Police and the Coast Guard have been extremely busy over the last two weeks or so and the Maryland State Police Trooper 4 helicopter has become a familiar fixture in the resort-area sky.
Historically, these types of water-related incidents seem to come in bunches and there is no logical connection between them, but it’s important to note it is still only June. With the arrival of Fourth of July next week and the summer season about to kick into high gear, the potential for more water-related tragic incidents goes up in kind.
The crowds will be bigger, the water temperatures in the ocean and bay are starting to warm up and on most days the boat traffic in the coastal bays watershed will rival the hectic pace found on Coastal Highway during the summer.
To that end, Ocean City officials and first-responders this week urged residents and visitors to take extra precautions and use common sense while they enjoy all the resort area has to offer.
“Safety is our number one priority, whether it’s on the roadway, the beach or the bay,” said Ocean City Communications Manager Jessica Waters this week. “Most of the accidents that are experienced in the water, both the ocean and the bay, are completely preventable.”
In each of the diving accidents over the last two weeks, the victims dove head first from a bulkhead into shallow water just a few feet deep. Most don’t realize the bay in most areas apart from the navigation channels is just a few feet deep on even the highest of tides and one could ostensibly walk from one side to the other without getting entirely wet. The same goes for the ocean on some days when one could walk out for a hundred yards or more before getting in over their heads. For that reason, resort officials are urging visitors to never dive or enter the water head first.
“Our ocean and bay vary in depth quite drastically, so swimmers should never enter the water head first, but should enter feet first every time,” said Waters. “You can never use too much caution in the water. We want our visitors to have a great time in the ocean and the bay, but not at the expense of their safety.”
Common sense is the rule for water safety, but unfortunately many visitors check their common sense at the bridge when they arrive for vacation. Waters said following a few well-advertised and time-honored safety tips will help ensure swimmers can enjoy a day on the water and safely return to land.
“Being extra cautious and taking a few extra safety steps can avoid a tragedy,” she said. “We urge you to avoid alcohol while swimming or boating, use proper life jackets, never dive in head first and always use common sense.”
Waters also took the opportunity to reinforce another well-worn and time honored slogan for beach swimming safety in Ocean City.
“Lastly, if you’re visiting the ocean side, remember to never swim without lifeguards on duty,” she said. “Even the best swimmers can get into trouble in the ocean, so remember to keep your feet in the sand until a lifeguard is in the stand.”
Like most allied first-responders in and around the resort area, the Ocean City Fire Department’s dive team has been extremely busy during the rash of water-related incidents. Dive Team Commander David Peterson this week reiterated some of Waters’ sentiments about swimming and diving safety.
“Our visitors know the joys that come out of our waterways, both ocean and bayside, but they often don’t understand the dangers that come with those joys,” he said. “First and foremost, you should never dive head first and you should go slow entering the water if you don’t know the depth, which many do not.”
Peterson said with the amount of boat traffic in and around the resort during the peak of summer, swimmers should take extra precautions before entering the water.
“It’s critical to be aware or your surrounding boats, jet skis and other vessels before entering the water,” he said. “Never turn your back when exiting or entering the ocean and remember that swimming in the ocean or bay is much different than a pool.”
Peterson said even experienced swimmers can quickly find themselves in trouble in the unpredictable ocean and bay with varying water depths, tide changes and rip currents, for example. He also hammered home the Beach Patrol’s well-worn mantra.
“Know your self-limitations when swimming as you can often become tired and distressed,” he said. “Last and by for most important, always swim near a lifeguard and never, ever swim when the guards are off-duty.”
The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) often responds to water-related incidents and rescues, just as they did for each of the two shallow diving accidents, but the department’s primary focus is often on what a swimmer is doing before he or she enters the water.
OCPD Public Information Officer Lindsay Richard this week reiterated most of the sentiments of her colleagues, but also hammered home the dangers of drinking and swimming or boating.
“I think the primary point is that we strongly encourage citizens to avoid alcohol while swimming,” she said. “Alcohol can greatly diminish a person’s judgment which could lead to tragic consequences. Even an experienced swimmer could make poor choices while drinking, which could result in serious injury or worse.”
