Margate City Beach Patrol ready for crowds as oppressive heat moves in

MARGATE, N.J. (WPVI) -- If you thought the commute from Philly was bad, Action News spoke to some folks who endured the flight from Australia to enjoy the Jersey shore.

"It was overnight! It was kind of a bit tired, but I stayed awake the whole time," said 7-year-old Yemaya Thaler, of Byron Bay, Australia.

"We came here to escape the Australian winters, thinking, OK, we'll be here in summer," said Yemaya's mom, Stephanie Thaler. "Of course, Australian winter is quite mild, so the past week it kind of felt like the same weather."

But now the heat is on, and locals like Todd Miller are bracing themselves.

"We know with the heat wave coming, it's going to get really, really, really busy," said Miller, who lives in Margate.

As temperatures are expected to soar over the next few days, beach lovers are bound to head for that refreshing water, especially this weekend.

"I think people are chomping at the bit to get down the beach," said Captain Chuck LaBarre with the Margate Beach Patrol.

He says with the nice weather and schools letting out, a full staff of lifeguards will be on duty with about eight or nine lifeguard stations open.

"Enjoy yourself, but please, please swim at protected beaches," said LaBarre.

While the ocean has been relatively calm, he says lifeguards are specially trained to look for hazards and steer swimmers away from them.

"The bottom of the floor, what you're standing on, the rip currents," said LaBarre.

Even though people usually come to the coast to cool off, it's still going to be hot at the shore too!

Officials say make sure you hydrate and take breaks, especially in the early afternoon when it's usually hottest.