Dangerous Rip Currents In Belmar Pull Young Boy From Shore

On Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend, dangerous rip currents pulled a boy away from the shore in Belmar, New Jersey.  Speaking with lifeguards who helped rescue the boy, I was told that the boy was pulled far from shore, about as far out as the end of the Belmar fishing pier which looks like 100 feet.

The rip currents as summer winds down on the Jersey Shore are no joke. There are a few reasons for the dangerous rip current activity with the main reason being the Atlantic storm season is in full swing by the time Labor Day weekend comes around. This past weekend there were remnants of two named storms churning out in the Atlantic ocean which created the challenging conditions at our amazing beaches.

Lifeguards that I saw were busy asking people to swim in waters near lifeguard stands and warning them of known rip current areas so that they could avoid known dangerous areas.  However this rescue on Sunday evening happened the the late afternoon hours, after the guarded beaches allowed lifeguards to go home for the day.  This boy was lucky to be alive thanks to local surfers and lifeguards who stayed at the beach on their own dime.

Swimming after guards are gone for the day during this time of year is particularly hazardous.  Rip currents are at their most dangerous in the time of the changing tide, just after a high or low tide.

Check out the information below on how to recognize a dangerous rip current. One main tip is to look for water near shore that is darker than the rest of the water around it, which means it's deeper and could possibly mean a channel has been created in the sand under the water through which water is rushing; thereby creating a rip current.

Let's have a safe Local Summer!  (Note, in the video below, local beaches at the Jersey Shore tend to not ID rip currents with signage)

The recent breaking news from Neptune City that there's a redevelopment plan that has surfaced for the area near the Route 35 bridge had gotten us nostalgic for all the good times we had at the Headliner Nightclub over the years.  If the plan comes to pass, the Headliner Nightclub would be razed to make way for a new hotel/restaurant/condo complex.

The redevelopment plan includes knocking down The Headliner Nightclub (now also known as the Oasis Pool and Day Club) along with the Sunsets Restaurant and the Neptune Motor Lodge.  In those businesses' places would be the new complex which would include what's being described as a "high-end hotel", condominium units, and a restaurant.

The current motel has not been in operation since a wind storm ripped the roof off the building.  That wind storm spread roofing debris around the surrounding area and neighborhood and allowed rain to ruin the business.  The building is an eyesore and in desperate need of something, anything, to make the area acceptable.

So, I went through The Rat's picture archive and found some great old-school pictures from the many parties that we did at The Headliner.  See if you recognize yourself or any of your crew!