Water Safety Day: What Hampton Beach lifeguards want you to know

HAMPTON — A chance to run, splash and swim with the guardians of Hampton Beach is a big deal to the children who look forward to Water Safety Day.

Ten-year-old Gioia Fournier was one of those kids Thursday, July 28, enjoying paddleboard rides with lifeguards in the ocean behind the Seashell Stage. Five years ago, Fournier was visiting the beach when she became lost, trying to find her mother. The lifeguards found her and reconnected her with her family.

Fournier, who lives in Hooksett, has considered the lifeguards her friends ever since and comes with her family almost weekly. Water Safety Day was a day she was not going to miss.

“I know it only happens once a year, but it’s still the best thing,” Fournier said.

Water Safety Day, put on from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, has been held since 2015 behind the Seashell Stage. The day draws several first responders and experts in water safety who try to connect with the public through games as well as informational conversations at different booths.

Fournier said Water Safety Day is an exciting chance to spend time with the lifeguards, and she hopes to join their ranks one day. Paddleboarding with her lifeguard friend Farrah, she said, is a way for her to keep learning about how to act on the beach.

“I know where to go. I know what to do when someone’s in trouble,” Fournier said. “I know how to be safe.”

Lifeguards, first responders share knowledge on rip currents, more

Lifeguards and other first responders at the beach Thursday were ready to share a range of tips for staying safe at the beach based on their own experience and training. This year, New Hampshire State Park Beach Patrol has made 247 ocean rescues so far, according to lifeguard Chief Patrick Murphy. The number changes every year, 2020 seeing 538 rescues, he said, while last year saw the number drop to 257.

“The ocean changes every day,” Murphy said.

To be prepared, the lifeguards train daily from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m., working on swimming, paddleboard rescues, medical training and other exercises. The group this year has 81 guards, mostly between ages 16 to 24 but also including ones that are 46 and 70 years old, according to Murphy.

Hampton Beach rescue: "Human chain" formed to save swimmers caught in rip current

“Our staff is one of the best around,” Murphy said. “Every day they just keep getting better.”

Murphy advises people to always watch for rip currents, which appear calm but in fact pull water with great strength to the ocean. Three people became caught in a rip current Saturday across from Nudd Avenue and were pulled to shore by firefighters and off-duty lifeguards, as well as bystanders.

The rip currents form between sand bars and can be between 20 and 100 yards wide, according to Murphy. He said people who become caught in a rip current should stay calm, then swim parallel to the beach so they can reach the nearest sand bar to stand again.

There are other ways lifeguards advise people to stay safe. Swimmers are recommended to swim only when lifeguards are on duty, and not to go deeper than chest-deep waters, according to Murphy. Beachgoers also need to bring water to stay hydrated, he said, and to wear sunscreen.

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Beachgoers had the chance to peruse a number of tables hosted by agencies and experts like the Coast Guard, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and the Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue team.

Hampton firefighters were on hand to demonstrate how to properly treat wounds using props like fake arms and feet. EMS Officer Kate Meehan said there are plenty of rocks to scrape one’s foot at the beach, for example. She advised applying pressure and covering such wounds, as well as elevating them, while calling 911 for first responders to arrive.

Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co. owner Dave Cropper spoke about safety for those surfing or stand-up paddleboarding. He recommended never going into the ocean alone, bringing the right gear like a wetsuit for protection against the cold and to never overestimate one’s own abilities. He also said people need to be aware of weather conditions and to wear a life vest if paddleboarding beyond the wave breaks.

“The best thing you can do is get a lesson so you can share the knowledge,” Cropper said. “It’s going to be way more fun and you’re going to have a much better experience.”

Beach games a fun way to learn at Water Safety Day

The day’s list of games included some that the lifeguards enjoy playing even amongst themselves. The “beach flags” game puts players in a race to capture one of several flags, of which there is one fewer than the number of competitors, similar to musical chairs.

A week from Water Safety Day, Aug. 3, the Hampton Beach Lifeguards will host The New England Lifesaving Competition and play games including beach flags for bragging rights. Thursday’s games were more about education and connecting with the public.

Many in the water with lifeguards Thursday were Fournier’s age or younger. Murphy said Water Safety Day is a powerful way to connect with the public and inspire kids like Fournier to consider joining their ranks some day.

“Many of these kids, this is the best day of the summer,” Murphy said. “That’s what makes it the best.”

Fournier’s father, Shawn, said Water Safety Day is the reason his family chose to be at Hampton Beach rather than their lake house. He said he has always reminded his daughter there is a big difference between the calm lake waters and the ocean’s powerful pull. He trusts the lifeguards his daughter has befriended to help her stay safe, too.

“She’s learned just an amazing amount on safety, swimming, rip (currents) and just not being unsafe in the water,” Shawn Fournier said. “It’s pretty cool.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Water Safety Day at Hampton Beach: What lifeguards want you to know