18 Swimmers Rescued From Rip Currents In One Day At Popular Maine Beach

OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine (AP) — Lifeguards are getting a reprieve now that the surf is calming down this weekend in Maine. At Old Orchard Beach, lifeguards rescued 18 swimmers in a single day on Friday.

Lifeguards tell WGME-TV that the Ocean Park area is where most riptides form — and that they stayed on duty an extra two hours past normal shift to keep watch.

Keith Willett, lifeguard captain, said warning flags should not be ignored.

He said swimmers should talk to lifeguards if there's a yellow flag. If there's a red flag, then swimmers should stay out of the water altogether.

He said most of the rescued swimmers on Friday were children. Sunday's forecast called for calmer conditions, with a surf of 1 to 2 feet.

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