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3 Rescues In 5 Minutes: Riptides Keep Gloucester Lifeguards Busy

GLOUCESTER (CBS) - Three rescues. Five minutes. All in a day's work for lifeguard Erin Pratt.

The Bass Rock Beach Club lifeguard heard screams for help Friday and jumped into action. A woman in her fifties got stuck in a riptide at Gloucester's Good Harbor Beach.

"It was a woman and she was caught on a rock down there. And she had a boogie board in her hand," said Pratt. "I ran down here and someone passed me a surfboard. So I ran down here I hopped on that. When I got to the woman I put her on the board and took her back to safety."

WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports

But Pratt barely had time to bring her safely to shore before a 10-year old and 12-year old brother and sister were struggling in a riptide.

Read: Coast Guard Warns Boaters Of Rough Waters

"There were two little kids and they had a boogie board and they were caught in the middle so I once again hopped on the board," said Pratt. "I went out there I had the boy on the board and I had a girl on the tube and I brought them back."

When Gloucester Police arrived they helped close down that half of Good Harbor Beach. Saturday afternoon, that portion was still closed and swimmers were only allowed in the water up to their ankles.

Gloucester Police Sgt. Michael Gossom warned swimmers to follow the signs prohibiting swimming and pay attention to lifeguards. If people do find themselves in a riptide Sgt. Gossom offered some life-saving tips.

"The biggest thing is not to panic when you sense that you're being pulled out they always say swim to the side don't try to swim into it you're just going to tire yourself out you're not going to get anywhere," he said.

This is Pratt's first summer as a lifeguard and the 16-year old says her quick thinking was all in a day's work.

"It's my job. I'm responsible for this so I just reacted," said Pratt. "It was just great to feel that I saved their lives."

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