North Carolina man saves two young girls caught in rip tide at Cape Hatteras National Seashore/Kurt Repanshek file
Get caught in a rip tide and you're more than likely going to panic. The strong current of water pulling you out to sea can be overpowering. For a North Carolina man, the thought of two young children drowning due to a rip tide prompted him to ignore his own safety and swim out to save them.
Escaping a rip tide, or current, can be done if you don't let panic wash over you and you're a good swimmer. Swimming perpendicular to the current often will enable you to break free of its watery grip and return to the beach.
That wasn't the case Friday afternoon at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Jeffrey Del Monte, along with his wife and friend, were driving an off-road vehicle on the beach near Ramp 49 in Frisco, when they heard screams of children and panic on the beach. As they surveyed the water, they spotted two young girls, estimated to be around 9 years old, 75-100 yards offshore "apparently struggling while being swept out in a rip current," a park release said.
Del Monte "swam out and retrieved the first of two girls and passed her to his friend for a lengthy swim back to shore. Jeffrey then searched the surface of the water for the second young girl and found her in distress. Del Monte bravely brought the child to the beach from nearly 100 yards out," the release added.
The Dare County man and his friend then tended to the girls, whose hometowns were not immediately released, until Dare County Emergency Medical Services and a Cape Hatteras National Seashore ranger arrived on scene.
“Jeffrey Del Monte’s heroic, selfless, and prompt actions were critical to saving these two girls from a very dangerous situation,” said Cape Hatteras Superintendent David Hallac. “I am thankful for his courage and expertise which allowed him to perform this successful ocean rescue.”
The incident prompted the seashore to remind visitors that "it is critically important that (they) check the beach forecast for hazards and rip currents before heading to the beach and always use something that floats when in the water."
A tropical storm watch, the first of the hurricane season, was issued Saturday night for the Outer Banks region through Monday afternoon. In addition to tropical storm force winds potentially arriving as early as Sunday evening, there will be an enhanced risk for life-threatening rip currents starting Sunday and continuing early this week, the seashore's release said, adding that beach visitors should use extreme caution in and near the ocean and stay out of the water while rip current risks are elevated.
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Comments
WOW!! The right person in the right place at the right time!! Thank you Sir for your heroic actions!!
so glad the Lord had you there to save these girls!!
Yes!
That took a lot of courage to save those girls. What a scary situation. It gives you faith in humanity, when so much else is wrong.
Tonight's pray from the Parents of these girls should be " And God Bless Mr. ___ " and teach theses girls to say a Special Prayer to God for sending Mr____ when they say their prayers at night before bed.
God bless you for your unselfishness!
Agreed. Definition of a hero is someone who puts their own a** on the line to save strangers' lives. I've felt those sorts of tides and the idea of voluntarily going into the water instead of running away is terrifying.
We need more heroes like this guy. It was a selfless act of compassion!
Outstanding job Jeff.
An example of the goodness of mankind - well done Jeffrey.
In Australia there are a lot of people drown needlessly because they don't understand what a rip is and how to move sideways and Fight the panicking urge to swim against it. Thanks for publishing this as it just might save a life!
I'm almost positive he was a trained ocean rescue/firefighter. I applaud the article but the headline is inaccurate- he absolutely did not ignore the rip current (which is incorrectly called a rip tide in the headline- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ripcurrent.html) he was apparently very well trained in these specific conditions.
This is an amazing story! Thank you Jeffrey Del Monte for inspiring us all to be better people to one another.
Where were their parents?! Why were the girls allowed to go in water when there was tip tide warning?
Truly hope that Mr. Del Monte is recognized by the Park Service and local authorities for his heroic act.
Thank you Traveler for your article on this subject. The more exposure about rip tides the more people will understand them in case they experience one.
It's nice to read a story of a real hero. Nowadays, so many folks doing the job they are paid to do every day, are called heros. Not the way it should be. Kudos to Mr. Del Monte..
My son who is on a 2 year military posting to Virginia Beach from the UK did the same thing yesterday 12th Sept /20 and I am so proud of him. Two sisters had got caught in a rip tide and were saved- I am so proud of my son, my love to my son, his wife and his own two little girls
An absolute shame that the mother of the 2 sisters did not thank my son, also a shame that no one thought to take his name or any details as he is so concerned about how the 2 sisters are - as welll as having the wounds on his feet to worry about. Maybe someone who reads this can get in contact with him . Thanks