Another diving accident at beach highlights need for caution, common sense

Doug Ferrar

The Daily Times

On the beach in Ocean City, Md. Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

A man suffered potential head and neck injuries Sunday after an incident on the beach near South Bethany, officials said.

Emergency service personnel responded to the incident on the drive-on beach between South Bethany and Fenwick Island around 2:20 p.m. after off-duty paramedics who happened to be nearby began emergency care, according to Bethany Beach Fire Chief Brian Martin.

Sussex County EMS and DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation Natural Resources Police also assisted with the call.

The man was transported by Delaware State Police Trooper 2 to Christiana Hospital for evaluation. His current condition has not been made public, Martin said. Calls to DNREC were not immediately returned Monday for more information on the incident.

Still, officials have warned of unsafe behavior around the water this summer that can cause serious and long-lasting injuries.

Three similar incidents have occurred in Ocean City since mid-June.

Boats travel from the bay to the ocean underneath the Route 50 bridge in Ocean City, Md., during the holiday week on July 3, 2017.

Two men jumped from the Route 90 bridge on June 21 around 5:15 p.m, Ocean City police said. A multi-agency search found no sign of the men after an hour, leading police to conclude that the men were able to escape under their own power or were picked up by a boat before first responders arrived, said Lindsay Richard, police public information officer.

The following day, a 24-year-old man from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, dove from the bulkhead into Assawoman Bay near 14th Street on June 22, Richard said. Concerned people were able to drag him onto a boat and ferry him to a nearby pier where first responders waited.

The man was flown initially to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, then transported by Maryland State Police helicopter to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, where he was listed in critical condition. His condition was upgraded to stable on June 28, Richard said.

And most recently, the Ocean City Fire and Police departments responded when a 19-year-old man from West Virginia dove head first into Assawoman Bay near 25th Street around 2 p.m. on June 27, Richard said.

The beaches in Ocean City, Md. are full of swimmers and vacationers during the holiday week on July 3, 2017.

The man suffered neck and spinal injuries. He was transported by Maryland State Police helicopter to University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. His condition is now listed as stable.

Authorities frequently urge safe behaviors near the water, but incidents occur each summer.

"Safety is always our number one priority, whether it’s on the roadway, the beach or the bay. Most of the accidents that are experienced in the water — both the ocean and bay — in Ocean City are completely preventable," said Ocean City Communications Manager Jessica Waters. "Our ocean and bay vary in depth quite drastically so swimmers should never enter the water head first."

Waters emphasized using caution and safety near the water at all times, avoiding alcohol while swimming or boating, and using life jackets properly.

"Being extra cautious and taking a few extra safety steps can avoid a tragedy," Waters 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."

Umbrellas can be seen for miles at Bethany Beach during this holiday week on July 3, 2017.

The dangers associated with the ocean and back bays are well-known to Ocean City Fire Department Dive Team Commander David Peterson, who had similar advice.

“Our visitors know the joys that come out of our waterways, both ocean and bayside, but they often do not understand the dangers that come with those joys," Peterson said.

Peterson offered the following tips for being safe in the water.

Never dive head first.
Be cautious entering the water when its depth is not known.
Be aware of nearby watercraft including boats and jet skis before entering the water. Never turn your back on a vessel when entering or exiting the water.
Swimming in the ocean or bay is much different than swimming in a pool. Know your limitations when swimming. It is easy to become tired or distressed.

"Last and by far most important, always swim near a lifeguard and never, ever swim when the guards are off-duty,” Peterson said.