Swimmer Drowns in Wildwood, Third on the Island Since Memorial Day

WILDWOOD – One man drowned as another was saved at the beach near Youngs Avenue June 8. The victim is the third to succumb to the waves in the Wildwoods since Memorial Day.
Wildwood police say they responded to a call for a swimmer in distress at 5:23 p.m. When police and fire officials arrived at the scene, several people were already assisting the victim.
Per eyewitness accounts, the man was found unconscious and unresponsive roughly 100 yards from shore. The victim was later identified as Williams Pathy, 45, of Hillsdale. 
Fire and rescue relieved the beachgoer of CPR and subsequently transported Pathy to Cape Regional Medical Center. He succumbed to his injury there.
After interviewing more witnesses and canvassing the areas to ensure no other swimmers were in distress, authorities discovered that another swimmer had been rescued by a beachgoer. Wildwood Fire Department treated him at the scene.
“The public is reminded that they should only enter the ocean when lifeguards are on duty,” a joint statement from the Wildwood Fire Department and the Wildwood Police Department read. 
Pathy is the third drowning victim in Wildwood in two weeks. Alfred Williams, a 19-year-old, was caught in a rip current May 31. His body was found several days later at a Wildwood Crest beach. Joel Green, 53, was discovered unconscious and pulled from the water by a beachgoer June 7. 
Germaine Fountain told the Herald she was the beachgoer who found Green unconscious in the water June 7. Fountain says that shore towns need to provide lifeguard coverage during the weeks following Memorial Day.
“As soon as that water’s warm enough—and I know it’s hard to find guards and pay for them—I would much rather my taxes go to guarding the beaches.” said Fountain.
Although these deaths have all occurred in the Wildwoods, the problem is not confined to the island.
Authorities across the county have posted messages online, urging beachgoers to stay out of the water unless a lifeguard is present. 
“PLEASE DO NOT GET IN THE WATER AT UNGUARDED BEACHES. Not all beaches in Cape May City are guarded during the weekdays in late May/early June,” Cape May Police Department wrote on Facebook.
Stone Harbor Beach Patrol Captain Sandy Bosacco spoke to the borough council June 7, warning of unusually strong rip tides this year.
A contributing factor to this season’s rip tide strength is the amount of offshore sand creating peaks and valleys that concentrate the water flow in certain areas, strengthening the current. Bosacco told the council his lifeguards are keeping swimmers closer to shore as a precautionary measure.
Daily lifeguard coverage for the season began June 11 in Wildwood, but lifeguards are not stationed at beaches before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Coverage extends to 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.