Educational Rip Current Signs Posted At East Hampton Beaches

New signs warning of the dangers of rip currents have recently been posted at East Hampton beaches by the founder of East End Ocean Rescue, and he eventually wants to expand his outreach to at least one Southampton Town beach.Jimmy Minardi, who founded the nonprofit in 2003 to educate people about water safety, said the seven signs that recently went up at beaches across East Hampton Town are a proactive way for his organization to teach swimmers how to handle a rip current—a powerful, fast-moving ocean current that can pull swimmers swiftly away from the beach—if they are ever caught in one.The signs can now be found at Wiborg, Georgica, and Two Mile Hollow beaches, all in East Hampton, as well as near the former East Deck Motel, Ditch Plains and the “Dirt Lot” surfing beach, all in Montauk. A larger version of the sign went up at Main Beach in East Hampton two years ago.“When I go to North Carolina, all those beaches have rip current signs,” Mr. Minardi said, explaining his inspiration. “And I said, ‘Where are our rip current signs? Where is the public awareness?’”His signs, which cost $90 each and were funded by donations, feature a graphic of a rip current and explains what a person should do if ever caught in one. It depicts the strong current moving out from the shore with black arrows. At the top of the graphic, green arrows point to the left and right, indicating in which direction—parallel to the shore—that a swimmer caught in a rip current should swim until free from the current, and before attempting to swim back to shore. The larger sign at Main Beach cost $600, Mr. Minardi said.“My mission statement is creating awareness around ocean and water safety—preventative medicine is always the best,” Mr. Minardi said. “I already created an organization for after the fact. When someone is in trouble we send someone out to rescue them … A lot of the struggle is after the fact. Now I want to raise awareness.”He added that he wants to install a sign at Coopers Beach in Southampton Village, noting that he is hoping to discuss his idea with Mayor Mark Epley soon. Mr. Minardi added that he wants to install a larger sign, like the one at Main Beach in East Hampton, at Coopers Beach, where a West Point cadet from Missouri died last month after getting caught in a rip current. Mr. Minardi noted that he used to serve as a lifeguard at the popular village beach.The signs also give swimmers four tips to surviving a rip current: don’t panic, swim parallel to the beach then to the shore, float if you can’t escape, and wave for assistance if you are struggling. The signs also encourage beachgoers to call 911 if they ever spot a swimmer in distress, and warn inexperienced swimmers against attempting to rescue someone caught in a rip current, as they could also become entrapped.East End Ocean Rescue has certified rescuers who respond to emergencies from Wainscott through Montauk, and also help patrol unprotected and private beaches.