Rip currents prompt Jersey Shore town to make dozens of rescues

VENTNOR, N.J. (CBS) -- A salty breeze swept through Ventnor, New Jersey, Monday night as waves crashed on the sand.

Beachgoers said it was a lot calmer compared to the weekend.

"The waves were so loud you could barely talk. They were huge," said Frann Shore, who is vacationing from Philadelphia. "I didn't want to go in. I was chicken. I had the boogie board down here, but I didn't go in."

The Ventnor City Beach Patrol said they were up against dangerous rip currents and made over two dozen rescues combined on both Saturday and Sunday.

"Our guards did a really, really great job this weekend of just being present and out moving people out of spots in the ocean that were not safe, keeping them in front of us, and just communicating with the public that this is a busy weekend and the water is rough and dangerous," Meaghan Holland, a senior lieutenant for the Ventnor City Beach Patrol, said.

Holland said they train for these scenarios and use boats and jet skis to help them in the ocean.

Even though the summer is winding down, the Ventnor City Beach Patrol said they're constantly trying to keep swimmers educated about rip currents.

"A rip current is a very narrow channel that people will get sucked out in and when you are being pulled in it, you almost feel like when you are fighting against it. It feels like a treadmill," Holland said.

Holland said it's best to not fight the current and stay calm.

Frank Finnerty and Ward Holland are both retired lifeguards and are no stranger to rip currents.

"If you are an average swimmer, you are not going to be able to swim against it. So the conventional thinking is to let it take you out and try to come around it, or to swim horizontally. But the main thing is you don't panic," Finnerty said.

And when in doubt about the water conditions, the lifeguards said just ask them for help.

"We are here to help and keep you safe," Holland said. "We want you to have a great time at the beach."