A tempting 73-degree ocean and strong south winds made for a dangerous combination on Saturday evening as a female was caught in rip currents near the jetty at Ninth Street.

The Ocean City Beach Patrol had ended its shift an hour earlier when people on the beach noticed at 6:30 p.m. that one their group was having trouble getting back to shore.

A member of the group, two bystanders and later police personnel helped bring the swimmer back to the beach. An Ocean City Fire Department water rescue unit also responded.

She was stable and was transported to Shore Memorial Hospital by an OCFD ambulance, according to firefighter Ray Clark. 

Clark said swimmers who take salt water into their lungs can sometimes suffer complications even after they appear to be breathing normally.

All others involved in the rescue refused treatment.

Saturday's weather saw sustained 20-knot winds that generated a strong south swell and strengthened the rip currents that form at the Ninth Street jetty, which is one of the most dangerous spots in Ocean City for swimming and adjacent to one of the most popular beaches.

The Ocean City Beach Patrol's final day of protecting beaches is Sunday, Sept. 23. Lifeguards will patrol a limited number of beaches from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.:

• Stenton Place
• St. Charles Place
• Brighton
• 8^th Street
• 9^th Street
• 10^th Street
• 11^th Street
• 12^th Street
• 34^th Street
• 58^th Street