Last week, Hampton Beach lifeguards made 144 rescues, almost triple the total amount of rescues they had made so far this summer.
All rescues were completed successfully.
Patrick Murphy, chief of the New Hampshire State Beach Patrol, said it was a bit of a perfect storm.
“Number one, there was beautiful weather. A lot of people were here,” he said. “We had larger surf than we've seen all summer… And we saw a lot of flash rip currents.”
Flash rip currents come about suddenly and are less predictable than fixed rip currents
Murphy said the busy week did not strain his staff, who train for such demands.
But, as many lifeguards wrap up their seasonal positions, he said staffing can be more of a challenge at the end of the summer. He recommended people make sure they are swimming at beaches with lifeguards on duty.
This week, state officials are watching Hurricane Erin closely. The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, expects a high risk of rip currents expected Thursday for coastal Rockingham County, and a high surf advisory for Friday into Saturday.
