OCEAN CITY, Md. (WUSA/AP) — Authorities are searching for a D.C man who went missing while swimming in Ocean City.
Lifeguards made 250 water rescues on Saturday and 227 rescues Sunday.
Ocean City Beach Patrol and its lifeguards are not catching a break, thanks partly due to Hurricane Danielle and wind direction.
Ed Jacobs who is visiting from Chicago says, “I went in and it threw me under. It’s violent and I thought, ‘wow’ this is dangerous!”
Beach patrol says one person is presumed drowned. The girlfriend of 20-year-old Melkes Delgado from D.C. says he went swimming with his friends while lifeguards were off duty around 8 p.m. Saturday and never surfaced. His three friends had to be rescued and are okay.
She now faces being a single mother of their one-year-old daughter.
Jakeline Ruiz Reyes says, “I’m thinking, how can I raise my child by myself? I never expected it.”
Authorities say it could have been prevented.
Captain Butch Arbin with Ocean City Beach Patrol, “We have a saying, ‘feet in the sand until lifeguards in the stand.’ Last night, with 250 rescues had these people gone swimming three hours earlier it would’ve been one more rescue instead it’s a tragedy, presumed drown.”
Conditions are only expected to intensify if Hurricane Earl continues on its path. We could see a similar situation or worse heading into the Labor Day weekend.
Arbin says if you are caught in a rip current remember:
R — Relax
I — “I need help” and wave your hand for the lifeguards to see.
P — Parallel, swim parallel to the beach.
