A teenager has died after he apparently drowned while swimming with his family at Hampton Beach on Sunday evening.
New Hampshire State Police, who are investigating the 17-year-old’s death, say troopers responded to the popular beach after receiving a report of a possible drowning around 6:46 p.m. Once on scene, police were advised by witnesses that the boy was swimming with some family members when he was pulled away by a strong ocean current.
The boy’s father went into the water in an attempt to rescue him, but he also became distressed, police said.
State beach patrol lifeguards were off duty at the time of the incident, but they were called back and responded quickly to the scene, rushing into the water and bringing both the teen and his father to shore, according to police.
Around 144 people had to be rescued over a span of six days — that’s almost as many rescues as lifeguards made over the entire summer last year.
Lifesaving efforts were immediately performed on the boy, police said, but he was pronounced dead after being taken to Exeter Hospital.
The boy’s father was also taken to the hospital, where he was treated and is in stable condition, police added.
The victim’s name is being withheld given his age, and further details were not immediately available.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Haroutunian at Nicholas.M.Haroutunian@DOS.NH.GOV or 603-227-2112.
High surf and dangerous rip currents were a problem along New England’s coastline this weekend due to Hurricane Erin’s lingering impact even after the storm veered away from the East Coast on Friday.
In Salisbury, a boat capsized Saturday near the mouth of the Merrimack River. One man onboard was rescued, but another man remains missing. People also had to be rescued from the water in Nahant and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Last weekend, officials said more than 140 people needed to be rescued from the water in Hampton in a span of six days, as tropical surf, hidden hazards and flash rip currents were catching people off guard there.
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