Off-Duty Lifeguards Rescue 10 Swimmers From Hampton Beach Rip Current

HAMPTON, N.H. (CBS) – Experts are warning beach swimmers: beware of treacherous rip tides.

The warning comes after off-duty lifeguards rescued 10 people from rip currents at a popular New Hampshire beach Friday night.

Hampton Beach lifeguards had just completed their shifts but were still in the area when they saw that multiple swimmers were in trouble.

"We were upstairs closing up for the night (when) we noticed three victims out in the water. We sent lifeguards out to make the first rescue of three females," said Patrick Murphy of New Hampshire State Beach Patrol.

"We saw two more people stuck in the rip current (and) went out, rescued them," Murphy said. "And at this point, there was another group of about five people that were in a different rip current a little bit South of our location so we went in and had to rescue them as well."

Swimmers described a harrowing experience.

"It was like a washing machine. It would bounce you around and pull you back out," said Rod Smeltzer.

"A wave came, and I went under and got tumbled around," said Margaret Smeltzer. "But then it pulled me back up on the shore, but in order to get up, it was tough, because the waves kept coming one right after the other."

The swimmers were rescued and luckily, none required medical attention.

Some people said swimmers need to take some responsibility.

"They have to understand you can't go out too far, you've got to be real careful, and then they panic and that's the problem," said swimmer Rocky Conrado.

"They feel invincible and they don't see the danger but the poor lifeguards, they're putting their lives on the line," said Pam Conrado.

Lifeguards said ocean conditions similar to Friday night are likely to arise again when low tide arrives.