Rough weekend weather leads to Ocean City drowning, water rescues

Rough Atlantic seas following a storm that brought heavy wind and several inches of rain have resulted in numerous rescues and one death on Eastern Shore beaches since the weekend.

Ocean City spokeswoman Jessica Waters confirmed Tuesday morning that an unidentified man was pronounced dead at Atlantic General Hospital after an evening water rescue Monday night.

The Ocean City Fire Department and Beach Patrol responded to a call of a swimmer in distress in the area of 1st Street at about 7:20 p.m. Monday, Waters said.

The agencies searched for the swimmer for about 15 minutes before locating him and immediately performing life-saving measures before transporting him to the hospital, Waters said.

“It’s a harsh reminder that you can never be too safe when it comes to the ocean and making sure that you’re swimming only when the lifeguards are on duty,” she said.

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Jake Rinaldi, of Ocean City, was a witness to the event. He was on the beach with friends when the rescue attempt took place.

"His wife was standing there, yelling at him to live, and her child was standing right there asking what was happening and asking about her daddy," he said.

"Seeing them cry like that was the hardest thing I've ever watched."

Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin said that the biggest mistake people can make on the beach is heading out into the water when there are no lifeguards on-duty.

"During the day we can do a lot to keep them safe," he said. "In Ocean City, in my 45 years here, probably 95 percent of all fatalities that have occurred in the ocean have happened when the Beach Patrol is off-duty."

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The days following the storm earlier this weekend were particularly treacherous, he said. The weather had reconfigured the underlying beach structure — the sandbars — and resulted in strong rip currents.

"They can easily pull people out even if they’re strong swimmers," he said, adding that the resulting situation is especially dangerous if the Beach Patrol isn't on-hand to rescue them.

Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Lt. Mike Stone with the Ocean City Beach Patrol said on Monday that Ocean City has made "almost 1,300 saves" so far this season. 

On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued three victims from the water after a person on the north end of the jetty was swept into the inlet by the current, followed by two members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol who were carried into the water while trying to perform a rescue.

All three were pulled to safety and no injuries were reported.

One other incident was reported at 8:12 p.m. Monday to the Worcester County Fire Department. A caller said two children were being carried out by the current.

The location given by the fire department was Assateague State Park's F loop and two Md. Natural Resources Police officers responded.

In the end, a kayaker went out to rescue the two children and brought them safely to shore.