Two people were pulled from the ocean Saturday, a week before Atlantic City's lifeguards officially take their stands.
Firefighters and lifeguards responded to Connecticut Avenue for a bather in distress, Beach Patrol Chief Steve Downey said.
Lifeguards helped bystanders pull the man in, who was alert, Downey said. The bather, whose name was not released, was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Lifeguards also pulled a little girl out after she was washed into a rock pile while on a boogie board near Tennessee Avenue.
While guards aren't officially patrolling the waters until Memorial Day weekend begins Saturday, Downey decided to have about 10 guard working this weekend.
"The beaches were packed today," he said of the warm temperatures that brought many to the beach.
Last year there were 55 rescues the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend, which sparked Downey's move this weekend.
"I'm glad we did," he said. "We’ll have work crews out all week getting prepped and ready to respond to an emergency."
The five or six days of storms made the area more prone to rip currents, Downey explained.
Beach-goers are reminded they should only go in the water when lifeguards are on duty.
